Justiceย is a concept involving the fair andย moralย treatment of all persons, especially inย law. It is often seen as the continued effort to do what is “right.” In most of all cases what one regards as “right” is determined by consulting the majority, employingย logic, or engaging inย mysticism. If a person lives under a certain setย lawย in a certain country, justice is considered making the person follow the law and be punished if not.
Classically, justice was the ability to recognize one’s debts and pay them. It was aย virtueย that encompassed an unwillingness toย lieย orย steal. It was the basis for theย code duello. In this view, justice is the opposite of theย viceย ofย venality.
Inย jurisprudence, justice is theย obligationย that theย legal systemย has toward the individualย citizenย and theย societyย as a whole.
Justice (in both senses) is part of the debate regardingย moral relativismย andย moral absolutism: Is there an “absolute standard” of justice, under which all behavior should be judged, or is it acceptable for justice to have different meanings in different societies? Some cultures, for instance, see punishments such as theย death penaltyย as being appropriate, while others decry such acts asย crimes against humanity.
