What Makes a Society Just?

Throughout recorded history, countless civilizations have sought to create and maintain fair and equal systems of justice, not only as a means of establishing order in society, but also as a means to providing a sense of responsibility as well as privilege in the population. This consideration in mind, a closer look at what makes a society just is in order.

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 (Torelli, 1999).

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 is a bedrock of any just society (Clor, 2005). Historically looking at the pioneers in the development of just societies, 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 no society in the 21st century could rightly call itself just.

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 (Clor, 2005). 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.

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 just societies 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.

Just Society Itself

Drilling down to the bedrock of the human experience, the idea of a just society itself, must consist of people living under a common law, political system, order, sovereign state and the like. Without common decency and law, anarchy would rule and the world would literally implode.

Closing Thoughts

In the course of this research, some overall concepts came 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- in one word, justice. If nothing else is remembered from this research, the true concept of justice, 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
Clor, H. (2005). Elster, Jon. Closing the Books: Transitional Justice in Historical Perspectives. The Review of Metaphysics, 59(1), 171+.
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.