What is justice?

What is justice? Personally I think humankind's idea that justice comes from bringing harm to those that break the law is unenlightened. I refuse to believe that if there was a God, it would see this as the ultimate evolution of civilisation. It seems to me that justice is confused too often with vengeance, especially in the case of the death penalty, which does nothing but give superficial closure to the victims or their families. As for it being a deterrent, I think that's bullshit. If anything it's a catalyst of more crime. Firstly because if someone commits a crime punishable by death, they have no reason not to commit any other crime they wanted to, because they are already paying the ultimate price. Secondly, if the government, which is supposed to be the most responsible group of people in society, shows so little value for life then society's actions would reflect these values which would lead to more crime. What do you think justice is?

What is justice?

Justice is basically the gain of one and the lost of another. That's why you see balance scale in courts. Some outweight the other.

DarkAge> Yeah, I agree with you.

But it sounds more like you're asking "What god does punishment do"?
What IS justice?

Justice, by government standards, bases its roots in Hammarabi's Law. Justice is as WindDancer said. While crime is loss of one and the gain of another, justice seeks to correct that imbalance in the scale, the gain of one, and the loss of another. What is just, and how justice should be applied, however, is a matter of opinion and often, too often, the government.

I agree with you though, DrakAge, 99% of the time, justice is confused with vengeance, and there is a fine line between them.

On an unrelated note, what's a f*ck monkey?

A f*cked up S.O.B., who pokes fun at people whenever he can.

Least, thats why I'm one...

True justic is getting veangeance for a crim commited against a person

Originally posted by Napalm
True justic is getting veangeance for a crim commited against a person

Says the Republican who supports capital punishment and condems abortion.

Originally posted by Dwarfdude
Says the Republican who supports capital punishment and condems abortion.

I support abortion is its rape of the baby has complications I just dont approve of elective abortions

So you think people should be able to have an abortion, but not be able to choose to have an abortion themselves? Wow...Thats the most ridiculous thing I think I've ever heard of...

But anyway, lets keep this on topic. Justice is not vengeance, although the two are close in meaning.

Justice - Uprightness, equity, vindication of right, administration of law.

Vengeance - The act of avenging oneself or another; retributive infliction of injury or punishment; hurt or harm done from vindictive motives.

Justice doesnt necessarily harm the offender.

To be justice is what happens to you at the end.If you die and go to hell then that is god justice to you.If you go to heaven it is your justice.Justice to me is being punished.JM

^Your post makes no sense. You say that Justice is punishment, and yet you say that if your good, you go to heaven in the end, and the end result is justice. Assuming heaven is a real place, it is supposed to be Paradise. So is going to Paradise punishment?

Justice is not necessarily punishment. It could be rewarding. If you go to this supposed Heaven when you die, because you've lived a humble and "good" life, then that is just. Because you lived a good life as a kind person, you go to heaven. Its balanced. If you live a bad life, and go to Hell, then that to is just, because it evens everything out. Again, its balanced. If you kill someone, whether it be Murder in the 1st degree or Manslaughter in the 2nd degree, do you then deserve to die? Many argue that you do. Hammarabi's Law. If someone truthfully accidently ran your brother over, and he was D.O.A., do they deserve to die themselves, even though it was accidental? If this person had lived an honest, humble life so far, and commited an accident, as all humans do, does that person deserve to die for their crime? Is that equity?

Is that Balance?

"Balance is best in all things." - Menelaus and Alcinous, The Odyssey

I don't believe in Hell.

It was an example. I doubt JM would accept any other one.

erm... but we are still in the state of learning right? and we will always be...I think... let's say if a kid about 6 years old burn a hospital... what "justice" should be made to him? I mean I don't see much difference as to him as to adults... because as long as we are in the state of learning, nobody really deserves hell...

By the way, I thought punishment is only used as a tool for learning? why is there a "death punishment"??

because we live in times where certain crimes are not meant to be forgiven. either that or we need to make an example of someone.

justice to me is when a person's misdoings are scorned and possibly punished, while as Dwarfdude said, good deeds acknowledged.

I personally think justicxe is just somre word people made up. Its a way of society to deal with things it likes or dislikes. For example if someone kills another person and the society tzhat it happened in doesn
't approve iof the deed it will do "justice" which means its gonna punish the person. And its gonna do that for different reasons:
-To give venegance (I hope that means revenge I heard other people using it)
-To teach the person
-To prevent other people from doing a similar deed by giving an example what wwill happen.

Now there is of course also another type of justice more positvie like if a person gets rewarded for doing "good" deeds.

I guess there is ev en more to the wortd but I think there is not natural justice it is just something humans agree by entering a society.

Justice is a concept involving the fair and moral treatment of all persons.

Storm, 'fair' and 'moral' is not only vague concepts, but also very relative and subjective and therefore your statement: "Justice is a concept involving the fair and moral treatment of all persons." is philosophically week and meaningless. Justice is a social activity which treats some people good and others bad.