Justice, Law, and Women in Plato’s Republic

Giving someone or a group of people what is theirs is the act of justice. A just person would not act in a way that would cause harm to others in order to further their own interests. When someone is willing to make sacrifices for others in order to receive justice, they are considered to be just. When all subjects are treated equally and given equal access to available resources, a system is just. Concern for human and individual dignity, solidarity, social amenities, and fundamental needs are the four components of justice. According to justice, everyone has the right to fundamental necessities of existence. These basic needs include food, water, clothing, medical care, equal treatment, and schooling. It is the right of a person to embrace their self-esteem and personal motivation. Justice means breaking the obstructions that hinder the unity of community members such as race and ethnicity, social status, power, and age. A just system provides social constructs and amenities for its subjects (Santas 81). The social constructs ensure that all people are on an equal platform and none is discriminated. Justice means that everyone has to benefit from the available opportunities. According to the Ancient Greek philosopher Plato, justice is a virtue that transforms a person into an intrinsically consistent and moral. Also, Plato asserted that justice is having a social awareness that makes people remain at peace and co-exist harmoniously. Plato suggests that justice is a form of specialism.

A just society for me and my future can be created by ensuring that justice is accorded to all members of the society. The justice systems should protect members of the society from greedy and corrupt leaders. Human life should be respected and there should be equal opportunities for all members of the society.

A veil of ignorance is a way of defining a certain issue according to moral concepts. A society ought to embrace justice, value to human dignity, and equality as its core values. Members of the society should rid themselves of self-interest that may destroy their ability to exist harmoniously. According to Raw in the “Veil of ignorance”, each social institution should be based on the basic structure that includes: The political system of a social institution should be based on legislations that contain procedures on how activities are carried out. The laws should be enforced and those who forsake the guidelines should be tried in a just court system. Disputes arising amongst the members of the institution should be solved procedurally, with each member getting his/her right. The judge sitting in the court should ensure that the verdict made does not favor a particular individual but ensures equal rights for everyone. Rawls states that the economic system of the societal institutions should there is proper property transfer, fair distribution of the available wealth, and predetermined relations. The available resources should be divided equally to all members of the society to ensure it is not rich or poor in the society. Rawls definition is meant to scrap off social status of some members of the society that are acquired due to accumulated property and wealth. According to Rawls propositions, no member of the society will be more powerful that the other and hence all people will co-exist peacefully in the society (Murphy 76). In addition, Rawls suggested that families should be supported to ensure there is a continuation of the particular society. He states that families ensure procreation and continue the existence of the society and its beliefs. However, Rawls does not support the idea of religious establishments and he states that societies can without religious institutions.

The major obstacles to having a just society are self-interest and greed for power and resources. Supporting capitalism means the members of the society will never be equal. A capitalistic society ensures that the divisions and differences amongst members of the community continue to exist. Rich people continue to gather more wealth while the poor remain poorer under a capitalistic economy. Greed for power makes members of the society kill one another fighting for it. Powerful people murder and kill to protect their thrones, power, and secrets. Due to greed and capitalism, justice is corrupted and the law courts never offer fair trials to poor people.

Existentialism is the theory that offers the most realistic and practical way to make my vision happen and ensure peaceful co-existence of human beings. Existentialism ensures that people will make the most rational decisions despite the various challenges they face in life. Existentialism is described as a philosophical concept that there in mutual respect for the human existence, their freedom, and ability to make the most informed decision. The proponents of the concept assert that every decision should be taken out of a rational mind and that members of the society have a responsibility for their actions. The concept emphasizes that human being have to endure suffering in their life and they are bound to face death that marks the end of their existence. According to Friedrich who is one of the founders of the concept, human beings are free to choose their own path of life without being subjected to conventional standards (Cavarnos).

Works Cited

Cavarnos, Constantine. “Free Will, Character, and Responsibility in Classical Greek Thought, the Greek Fathers, and Modern Existentialism.” The Sculptor and His Stone: Selected Readings on Hellenistic and Christian Learning and Thought in the Early Greek Fathers (2016): 137.

Murphy, Susan P. “Contemporary Philosophical Faces of Deontology and Consequentialism–John Rawls and Peter Singer.” Responsibility in an Interconnected World. Springer International Publishing, 2016. 61-87.

Santas, Gerasimos. “Justice, Law, and Women in Plato’s Republic.” Philosophical Inquiry 40.3/4 (2016): 77-89.