Justice. It is what most people on this planet would vote for, regardless of where they live or in which social class of that country they belong.
Why? Because ‘justice’ is a notion used as a broad principle, thus encompassing multiple variants of the human condition. Although extremely difficult to determine practically, even if we define it theoretically, ‘justice’ provides an advantage despite its vagueness: it can be open to debate! Whereas “Power” becomes objective as soon as you compare it with another power (source).
It explains why most people instantly understand “power” and fear it, even when it is their own power.
On the other hand, the weak spot of Justice is its seeming strength: its moral value. Something impossible to dismiss and yet very difficult to apply in everyday life as soon as things turn ‘bad’ or complex.
In one of my books, I analyzed the situation of a parent whose child is on a waiting list for an organ transplant.
Let’s suppose that the odds of making it in time are minimal (it happens far more often than you might think), and the parent has discovered a way to cut corners and secure the necessary transplant before the other people on the list.
-Is that fair?
-To whom?
-Was this arrangement secured legally or illegally?
– if illegally, that person is guilty of what? And what is the counterweight of the mitigating factors?
-If legally, is it ethical? The waiting list had no criteria other than chronological order. (Not always the case, but we assume it is so here or we overcomplicate).
Sometimes ‘power’ is more admired or respected than ‘justice.” And most totalitarian systems seem to gain admirers lately because our world is becoming more complex. Simple answers, no matter how inadequate or destructive, are much more attractive to the simple-minded.
Power is Power. The Darwinian approach holds no prisoners and needs no comprehensive analysis. In such ecosystems, we wait and see who comes out of the door intact after the fight. It is the well-done cheeseburger that will always beat the exquisite creation of a master chef.
Despite inherent instincts or external propaganda, we should all insist that we adhere to “justice”… Even though sometimes we do not know what we are talking about here.
Opportunists, hopefully not too skilled, will try to take advantage of the occasional confusion, surely. And an audience with a low level of education will help such populists. Fear them not.
Those who abuse power in the name of “justice” are those causing the damage.
The ancient Greeks may not have been as perfect or superior as Mythology would have most future generations think. But as History has proven multiple times, the Big problems they had solved indeed. Their theoretical proposition, playing a critical role in advancing global civilization, was not completed practically (power issues?). But this does not diminish the strength of its message every time thoughtful people live in such complex times.
We live in such times now. Are we thoughtful?