The Concept of Justice

Throughout the development of Western Civilization as we know it, many of the ideas and principles have come from earlier civilizations that pioneered many of the greatest ideas and concepts of the human experience. Among these great and influential civilizations are the Greeks, Romans and Hebrews. In this paper, the ways that these civilizations have shaped the political ideas and institutions of the West will be discussed through the presentation of several of the greatest tenets of Western Civilization, and the connection of their origins to the Greeks, Romans, and Hebrews respectively.

The Concept of Justice for All

While the concept of justice for all has changed, for better or worse depending with whom you discuss it, the roots of the system of modern justice finds its roots first in the history of the Hebrews and later carried through by the Greeks and Romans, who added a great deal to what the West now employs as a method of protection of order and respect of the common good.

The Old Testament of the Bible gives examples of the early systems of Hebrew justice, which in many cases amounted to little more than an eye for an eye or honors thy neighbor, as well as the Ten Commandments that tradition has Moses delivering to the Hebrews directly from the hands of God (Yassif, 1997). However, these early forms of law are significant, if not for their comprehensive nature, then surely for what they represent. In their most basic context, the Ten Commandments for example present the idea that wrongdoing and violation of others for one's own benefit is not only a sin against the creator of the human race, but is also unacceptable in a civilized society where respect and protection are essential.

Taking these basic tenets a step further, the Greeks and Romans developed an actual justice system which laid out a formalized system of law, rights for accused criminals, and the idea of trial by a jury of one's own peers to ensure that justice is not only swift, but fair as well (Barker, 1964). Today, although the system is often tested, questioned and modified, as well as abused, the West uses these early principles of justice for all as the foundation for what we use today to protect the good of society.

Sovereign Nature of the State

The idea of an organized state, complete with governmental bodies to make laws, protect the greater good, and improve the lives of citizens is something that again was influenced mostly by the Greeks, who were the early "fathers" of the state governmental system. History has long recalled how the Greek Senate formed the nucleus of the organization of the Greek State, along with organized military, political offices, and the like.

No other civilization has more zealously pursued a strong sovereign state than did the ancient Romans. Even today, as one looks at history over the ages, the might and power of the Roman Legions stands out among so many other examples in the annals of history. The Romans used military might to assert their power over others and ultimately, to protect their state.

The tried and true system of a sovereign state is something that has continued into the present day. Without the concept of the state and its governmental system, indeed none of the important systems of today could effectively exist.

Elected Officials

At the very heart of politics and an effective political system that reflects the will of the people is the idea of allowing those who aspire to serve their fellow citizens to present their ideas and be considered for election to public office which will give them the forum in which they can use their intelligence, ideas, and talents to improve the lives of their fellow citizens. In a primitive way, this was exercised once again in the Old Testament when Moses, David, and others were chosen by the Hebrews to lead and protect them.

As with so many other ideas, the Greeks used the concept of the will of the people being used to elect those that would lead and represent them to develop organized elections, a system of balloting, and regulations regarding exactly how and when elections would take place (Sinclair, 1952). No matter how advanced the West has become, these principles still guide today's electoral process.

Political Parties

Along with the electoral process, the concept of organized political parties has developed in Western Civilization in great part due to the innovations of the Greeks and Romans in this concept (Homo, 1929). Overall, these early civilizations used the political process to form groups of like minded people from a political viewpoint, and these groups presented candidates for public office that, once in political office, were expected to advance the interests and ideas of the group that helped them to achieve election- hence, what is known in modern day as the political party. Political freedom is something that has allowed Western Civilization to grow, advance, and prosper. Political freedom, or more correctly the lack of it, has toppled civilizations since ancient times, and continues to do so in the modern age. Political parties, for better or worse, have also been able to amass power for the advancement of ideas, laws, and other elements that have added to the lives of the common citizen and protected those who cannot protect themselves. Political parties have aided in the common defense, laws, and human services as well.

Protection from Interlopers

From the most primitive animals up to the human species, the idea of protecting one's own group from the harm of others exists. While we may harm ourselves within our groups, outsiders are generally viewed as taboo. Relating to previous discussions about the sovereignty of the state, an important part of that sovereignty is the ability for civilizations to protect themselves from aggressors. As civilizations advanced and life itself became more diverse and complicated, it is fair and accurate to say that the Hebrews, Romans and Greeks all brought the idea of a sound defense to something of an art form. This is evidence by the fact that without being able to defend them, these civilizations would not be allowed to grow to the greatness that they did, and they would be lost to obscurity and would likely not be discussed in works of research such as this. Taking this assertion perhaps beyond the abstract, it is not too far of an exaggeration to make the assertion that without the ability of protection, Western Civilization would not have been able to grow to any significant extent, and would not have achieved the heights that it has as history has progressed.

Along with the ability to be strong enough to defend one's own people comes the reality that this power must be used judiciously. If any nation or civilization becomes outwardly aggressive in their self defense, indeed they will become un-civilized and reverse generations of progress.

The Concept of Democracy

At the root of Western Civilization is the concept of democracy, which is to say the system by which the common order is maintained, officials are elected, the state itself is formed and defended, and what is expected of the common citizen in order to be allowed to be a free member of the democratic society as a whole. The actual democratic model as we know it, as with so many other features of a civilized society, began with the Greeks who used the idea of democracy as a guiding light for a better life. Originally, this concept was more philosophical than concrete, brought forth by the powerful thinkers of the early Greek civilization and later made real by those who planned and enacted the actual democratic model (Torelli, 1999). Of course, democracy is the glue that holds Western Civilization together today and allows it to advance as time moves forward.

Civilized Society Itself

Drilling down to the bedrock of the human experience, the idea of civilized society itself, in terms of people living under a common law, political system, order, sovereign state and the like was begun with the Hebrews, developed under the Greeks and Romans, and flourishes in Western Civilization today. Without common decency and law, anarchy would rule and the world would literally implode.

Closing Thoughts

In the course of this research, by drawing from the experiences of the Hebrews, Greeks and Romans to better explain Western Civilization, some overall concepts come to mind, perhaps the most important of which is the concept that human beings need order, rule, and organization for true freedom to exist. True freedom is not anarchy, chaos or a free for all, but rather a system where the individual can pursue their interests within the scope of respect for others and the state. If nothing else is remembered from this research, this concept, in the opinion of the researcher, should be the overwhelming theme that should ring forth from these pages.

References

Barker, E. (1964). Greek Political Theory: Plato and His Predecessors. London: Methuen
Homo, L. (1929). Roman Political Institutions: From City to State. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner.
Sinclair, T. A. (1952). A History of Greek Political Thought. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul
Torelli, M. (1999). Tota Italia: Essays in the Cultural Formation of Roman Italy. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Yassif, E. (1997). The Hebrew Narrative Anthology in the Middle Ages. Prooftexts, 17(2), 153-175.