What are the Components of Justice?
You may think of our post-Reval work as irrigating. That’s a wonderful metaphor.
I often think of it as restoring and dispensing justice.
But what is justice?
It’s a wonderful divine quality. You know it by being it.
From my experience in the hearing room, I see justice as having three components.
Wisdom
One part of it is wisdom, as witness the example of Solomon.
Solomon was asked to judge who the rightful mother of a baby was; two women claimed it. One of the women had rolled over in bed and smothered her baby. Both mothers now clamored for the remaining baby.
Solomon ordered the baby to be cut in half and a half given to each mother. One of them shrieked and said “No!” She told the king to give the baby to the other. Solomon gave the shrieking woman the baby.
Probably in lightning speed, Solomon thought the matter through.
He knew that the real mother would not permit the baby to be harmed. She’d settle for as much as she could win for the child and in this instance as much as she could win was only the child’s life.
The other mother had no deep feeling for the child and so did not react to the threat. Solomon demonstrates the wisdom, discernment, discrimination that is part of justice.
But one could not have wisdom without detachment, equal-mindedness, equanimity. In legal terms that translates into “impartiality.” Without impartiality, there’s no reliable wisdom.
Fairness
Another part is fairness.
The better part of fairness is equality. But not all of it.
Fairness usually does mean equal sharing. But it can also mean standing in line and taking one’s turn. These are also fair.
Fairness also has an element of respect to it, respect for oneself, respect for the other. Lining up and taking turns show respect for each other.
Fairness can also at times mean unequal sharing. A woman carries a child for nine months, delivers it, and nurses it. There can be no equality in anything connected with this process. It’s not equal that the woman carry the child and the man not. It’s not equal that the woman suffer financially for doing something only she can do.
The pregnant woman’s case needs special consideration and special treatment on all fronts – financial, medical, household, etc. . This is a case of addressing special needs, such as pregnant and nursing mothers have, which argue against simple “equal sharing.”
But here’s a second case. A particular social group has been held back from sharing equally in social mobility.
An uncorrupted government mandates affirmative action programs, where members of that group are temporarily favored over others until a proportionate balance is restored.
This is a case of making amends for an historical injustice. Again, in this case, fairness does not necessarily lead to equality.
Compassion
A third part of justice is compassion, sometimes called mercy.
Once the winnowing process has taken place, separating the credible applications from the non-credible, this third part of justice surfaces as compassion.
I don’t know. I’ve never run a foundation before, but I imagine I’ll be as touched by some of the stories I’ll hear there as I was by refugees’ stories.
Compassion will be ignited and that application will be sped on its way. An open heart is also a component of justice, one that’s been largely overlooked for many decades.
Independent decision-makers are the dispensers of justice. Dispensing justice means applying wisdom, fairness and compassion to produce impartial financial decisions. They do so on behalf of the organization.
They’re the ones entrusted to put into effect the mandate that arises from the organization’s mission. In my biased view, they’re the leading edge of the organization.
Having been in that position, I frankly wish everyone on the planet could have an opportunity to serve in it. To submit oneself to the discipline required to do that job rates a tip of the hat from me.
I hope the picture I’ve been drawing over the last few posts of the independent decision-maker helps make this necessary social role come alive for you.
It’s a position all of those invested in currency, recipients of the prosperity packages, holders of historical assets, etc. – all financial wayshowers, in other words – will soon be occupying. And trying to make work.
If I can simply and preliminarily describe the role, perhaps later an alarm bell will go off and you’ll say, “I think this has something to do with me as a decision-maker. I’m trying to figure out what isn’t working for me here. Where’s … that … article?”
As added value, here is The Importance of Independent Decision-Making.
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