Justice

Justice as a virtue in a person, is a habit by which aman has the constant and perpetual will to render to everyone whatis due to him. Justice is the virtue which observes the rights of all.

Justice is concerned solely about one’s dealings with others. Only in a metaphorical sense can a man have justice towards himself and from himself. In this sense, man’sappetites or tendencies can be regarded as separate and independent agencies, and in their agreement and consistent action under the rule of reason there is a likeness or figure of persons getting on well together, not violating one another’s rights, and therefore living in justice. Thus a just man is, first and foremost, a man who, steadfastly and always, respects the rights of others-of God, and of fellowmen. Secondarily, by the metaphor wehave described, a just man is a man of virtue.

Justice is one of the four cardinal virtues. It is a fundamental virtue. Cicero (De Officiis. i) says that goodmen are called good chiefly by reason of their justice, and that”the splendor of virtue shines out from justice more than from other virtues.”

Justice is a moral virtue. That is, it is a will-virtue. It is the rectitude of the will towards the rights of others.

The good of any virtue has some reference, direct or indirect, to the common good of all men. Therefore, each virtue hasan aspect of “to others.” Now, this reference “to others” is the main characteristic of justice. What is essential to justice shines out through other virtues, and therefore justice has the character of a general virtue in addition to its own special character as an individual virtue. Justice as a general virtue regulating the common good of all under the laws that govern men is called legal justice.

Yet justice, as the general virtue of legal justice,and as permeating the other virtues with respect to the common good, is not identified with any of these virtues.

Justice keeps its character as an individual virtue,seeking the particular good of each man in his relations with all others.

The special concern of justice as a particular virtue is with external action and external things in which men communicate with one another. Aristotle says (Ethic. v)that particular justice has its application in matters that belong to social life.

Justice is not concerned, as temperance and fortitude are, with the appetites called passions of the soul, but with acts and operations which have reference to others.

The mean or measure of justice is in external fact. If I owe five dollars, justice fixes my duty by that fact; I must pay that amount exactly. In virtues which regulate passions, such as temperance, exact factual measurement is not always possible, or,if possible, sufficient. The measure of such a virtue must take in internal condition as well as external fact. Thus, what is temperate action for one man may be intemperate for another. As a result of all this, the mean or measure of justice is called real, whereas, in the passion-regulating virtues,the mean or measure must be determined by sound reason, and is therefore called rational.

Justice seeks to preserve “the equality of proportion” in all the affairs of human life. And this equality of proportion is found when each person has what is his part, share, portion, and due. Hence, the act of justice is the rendering to each one of what he should have, and has a right tohave. The motto of justice is suum cuique, which means,“to everyone his own.”

Justice stands foremost among the moral virtues. Cicero (De Officiis. i) says that justice is the most splendid of virtues, and that it gives its name to good men. A justman means a man that is thoroughly good.