IS JUSTICE BETTER THAN INJUSTICE

Is Justice inherently better than Injustice?

“The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the just”.

Will the just man fare better than the unjust man? This is one of the overarching questions many people from very diverse backgrounds and belonging to different classes have pondered over since the days of yore. I have also contemplated the same subject over and over again, and would want to share my thoughts on the subject matter. History is replete with stories of an alarming number of both just and unjust people  - from rulers to the man on the street -and how they fared in life depending on the path they chose.

Justice is at the core of human activity. It is embedded within both individual conscience and the collective conscience of society. Whilst Justice is admiringly applauded, injustice on the other hand is frowned upon, condemned and rebuked.

But is the just man better than the unjust? Adeimantus in contention with Socrates on the topic of Justice, which is captured neatly in Plato’s Republic, seems to agree that the unjust man would fare better than the just man. He opines that people resort to justice and shun injustice because of the fear of punishment that their course of injustice would bring upon them. He maintains audaciously that people in general would be unjust if they could get away with it.

I agree with Adeimantus to some extent. Humans are not loyal angels or gods; we gravitate easily towards what is bad and what provides instant gratification without so much thought about possible future consequences. That explains why most people prefer to be unjust. The temporary enjoyment of unjust gains and instant gratification are sometimes too irresistible for the base desires of the fallen flesh.           

To do good or to be just require so much effort, probably ten times more than the effort required to engage in an unjust endeavor.

As a result, we have in a world where though there is an abundance of resources for everyone, millions of people cannot afford basically three square meals a day, let alone a decent shelter. Why won’t this be the case when politicians cannot help increasing their already vast wealth through corrupt and unjust means? Religious leaders are too weak (or too ‘wise’) to tell their congregants the truth, as this would inevitably curtail the torrent of largesse that is cascading down into their deep, mysteriously bottomless pockets. Many commercial enterprises are so enthusiastically advertising and promoting brands that they know are not good for the public for the sake of getting money quickly – prolific manufacturing of fake medicine is the order of the day in some countries, greedy and ruthless depletion of forest or natural reserves for myopia business interests, release of toxic chemicals into the atmosphere by giant corporations without so much thought about the health of the citizens, etc

It seems injustice in the short term and from the perspective of the individual is not only tempting but also profitable. All those who engage in unjust means are bound to increase their stock of wealth, improve their living conditions arguably at the expense of the masses and highly likely to optimize happiness. 

Many a person has wondered if the mighty arm of the universal law of cause and effect is not too strong and long enough to reach unjust people. If the unfailing law of cause and effect is always in force and moving speedily and searchingly to identify and reward or punish people for their actions, then why do unjust ones continue to flourish? It appears that cause and effect is only true in the case of personal sins and evil committed against specific individuals or groups while it is powerless and inoperative on evil or sins perpetuated against the larger society in general or the community as a whole without any targeted individual or individuals.

The writer of Ecclesiastes noted the apparent delay of judgment on the unjust in his explanation of the causes of the increasing spate of immoral actions. He writes: “Because sentence against a bad work has not been executed speedily, that is why the heart of the sons of men has become fully set in them to do bad.” (Eccle 8:11)

It is little wonder that injustice is extremely enticing. If there is no judgment or afterlife, then the course of injustice is ‘noble’ and ought to be pursued.  The bible writer of the book of Proverbs, clearly conscious of this dilemma, lovingly admonished good people not to be envious or enticed by the unjust gains and enjoyment of corrupt people because there is an afterlife where God would reverse the reward system to favor the just. He noted “

One of the numerous lovers of justice who have been cruelly tormented by the enticements of the unjust life was an Israelite by name Asaph in Psalm 73.  Asaph was also caught up in the same justice/injustice quandary when he saw how the unjust ones of his day were flourishing in peace and seemed happy whilst the just ones ironically were the ones grieving. His only consolation came when in an attempt to discern the future of the unjust, he entered the grand sanctuary of God where he was satisfactorily reassured that the unjust ones were placed on a slippery ground by God, a noteworthy point which once again reminds us of judgement or punishment for the unjust now and a rewarding and a pleasurable afterlife for the just in the coming righteous new world.

This brings us back to Adeimantus initial factual observation that, without punishment or judgement, people will choose the path of injustice.  In this evil age that humanity finds itself, injustice reigns supreme and it is the unjust ones who shine brilliantly. To be just virtually means to be self-denying, self-sacrificing, idiot, and to fight against one’s own rapid advancement in life.

Nonetheless, the course of justice undeniably yields good fruits in spite of the fact that it is challenging to pursue. Honour, Respect, Glory, Integrity are but few of the gains from a life-course of justice. It is pretty interesting how Adeimantus is swift to point out that it is these rewards, and not the love of justice itself, that propel people to act justly, while forgetting that it is the same rewards – instant gratification and temporary enjoyment of unjust gains- and not love of injustice itself, that motivate people to act unjustly.

In and of itself, aside all the entitlements and rewards both courses of justice and injustice hold, justice seem better than injustice. The just man, albeit poor materially, is always at peace with himself which form the basis of true happiness and inner joy, an ultimate goal of human existence which even all the manifold benefits of injustice can never furnish.  Debatably, the course of injustice only yields momentary pleasure and robs its agent of serene peace and true joy in life.

Socrates’ city-state analogy also validates the importance of justice over injustice. Socrates notes that a just man is the result of a well-ordered soul and society would be just if people (building on the premise of the earth-born theory) are permitted to do that which they are best inclined or naturally positioned to do – that is allowing Philosophers rule, strong men guard and protect the city, and the ordinary people produce.

Although at the micro level, unjust actions benefit those who engage in it, the consequences of their unjust actions negatively affect the entire society. Society would be just and peaceful if individuals strive to pursue the path of justice. A terrifying rise in unjust practices by members of a given society would only serve to increase pain and hardship in the society, trigger off strife and class struggles or conflicts, and last but not least, skyrocket the spate of criminal activities in the society. Society then becomes nearly uninhabitable and life becomes  “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short”.