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ELI TE I SSUE 14 , DECEMBER 2019 PAGE 21
THE CONCEPT OF JUSTICE:
A DECEPTIVE SIMPLICITY
LAYLA GALAL, Political Communication officer in "Su pport Egypt" Caolition
as it is both unfair and impractical to equalize all, in addition to the desire
Justice, the simplest principle to understand yet t he hardest to define, as
to create a motive that gives individuals a reason for enduring hard work
we all know what the word means but no one can set a definite
requirements imposed by socialism, as well to rise a sense of competition
conception for it, whereas it commonly agreed that the fundamental
among individuals, thus a rewards system was established, extra income,
contrast in defining justice differs with the purse d ideology, For
upgrades and promotions were given to hard workers. In this way, Justice
example, each Liberalism and Socialism had adopted a distinctive
nurtured to be the equality of the distribution of final resources while
view on Justice that matches its own narrative, for instance Justice
giving special privileges for the top achievers. In the same way, the
liberally speaking is what results from the equalit y of the right to
concept of justice changes and develops overtime, by the accumulation of
pursue opportunities; all is equal in the pursuit o f their own goals, while
real experiences and experiments, but it is almost impossible to imagine a
the state protects and respects such right for all individuals evenly, but
one agreed upon meaning for justice.
what then follows is definitely exclusive from the definition of justice;
in other words, the rich is rich because they deser ve and the poor is
Talking abstractly and generally, I admit the existence of a solid bond
poor because they deserve, consequently liberalism perceives justice as
between power and justice, whoever owns power monopolizes the right to
a procedural process and not as an outcome or end; it does not even get
define justice, that ’s why the definition varies in any society in respect to
bothered by the results or seeks to adjust them how ever how wide the
the dominant segment that holds power and control over resources,
gap between the rich and the poor is,
subsequently , the definition in a socialist society led by a proletariat is
not the same as in a capitalist society led by the bourgeoisie, the same
Moreover, it is a sound interpretation from liberal ism which cherishes
between a secular and theocratic societies , whereas ,it not inevitably
individualism , creativity and believes in individu al inequalities and
impractical definition simply because it is imposed by the dominant sector
differences. Whereas, socialism identifies justice as equality of the
in the society; It probably could be the most relevant for the nature and
distribution of final resources or the sum of what produced by the
unique conditions of the society considering that the powerful segment is
community, accordingly all get resources equally, therefore it is
who sets the definition for itself according to what it perceives to be just
concerned with justice as an outcome and not as a p rocedural process; it
or unjust, consequently, the definition could be satisfying for them but
does not care who works more than the other or who does not work at
seems to be discriminative for the minority, and this will take us to
all, while this view evolved from socialism ’s belief that the individual
another debate over the extent within which the minority has a word in the
is an integral part of the community and recognized only in the
face of power, and the extent within which the powerful sector should
community, as well as its stress on cherishing wor k and sacrificing for
respect the minority while defining concepts.
its sake , as what matters in the end is what the c ommunity produces, so
there is no rich and poor because all are equal. Ow ing to the fact that
Furthermore, talks about justice and its conflicting meanings will never
any ideology develops itself to adapt to the realit y it belongs to over
end, particularly since that tackling justice pulls us towards other concepts
time, the concepts and its meanings change when the ir significance or
that are still debatable too, as argued by the German philosopher, Fredric
relevance fade, in that sense, liberalism developed its conception of
Hegel, that the world is in a unremitting conflict between idea, as a thesis
justice, due to the wide gap between the rich and p oor which dictated
is once found then develop itself and mature to its maximum level , then
the search for a cure to heal poverty resulted fro m the inequality of
an anti-thesis evolves and takes place , while after a long conflict between
individuals rationally, mentally and physically, fo r example Imagine a
the thesis and its anti-version, a third thesis erupts, in result of the
disabled man who is unable to work for some forced involuntary
conciliation and combination of the two theses, so on and so forth. T his
reasons, who would back him up financially?
theory is the closest and most relevant to me in conceptualizing words and
its meanings due to the continuous evolution that both reality and power
The liberal answer is : No one , That ’s why liberalism resorted to a
considerations witness, as who used to hold power in past is no longer
redistribution policy through imposing taxes on the rich in order to
holding it today, while who wields it today can never guarantee having his
ensure the minimum level of living standards for th e poor and disabled,
Again it only offers the minimum level as it priori tizes above all the grip on it in future, and in the same way, it is impossible to imagine any
individual differences, thus the concept of justic e developed to be the absolute definition for any concept in a world full of clash of ideas and
equality of the right to pursue opportunities but with offering the alteration of power between different hands. To finish, in order avoiding
minimal level of living standards for the poor and underprivileged, indulging into an infinite loop of interrelated derivations of definitions for
__________________________________________________________________
justice,
a
leave
and
each
for
room
concept
enough
is
it
the
present
to
definition
tilts
tow
its
similarly
,socialism
found
in
providing
merit
ards
society to place
” its own definition.
“for a while of time
privileges to the hard workers and top achievers,
ELI TE I SSUE 14 , DECEMBER 2019 PAGE 21
