Throughout history, people have made efforts to develop a fair and impartial legal system that promotes community improvement and acknowledges the moral obligations essential for ensuring equity in daily exchanges. The Hebrews’ aspiration to construct their own judicial structure is evident in the Old Testament, a component of the Bible. This venture is demonstrated by the existence of written rules known as the Ten Commandments.
The Ten Commandments had a profound influence by providing guidance on moral principles and the repercussions of neglecting them for personal gain. Not only did transgressing these commandments damage individuals, but it also had adverse impacts on society at large. Esteeming others was deemed crucial during this era (as evidenced by the commandment to “honor thy neighbor”). The Ten Commandments were considered essential in establishing an equitable and righteous society within the Hebrew justice system. Nevertheless, justice systems extend beyond solely relying on the existence of the Ten Commandments.
The ancient Greeks and Romans are renowned for their establishment of a justice system that offered guidelines, laws, and rights to be followed by the people. They also introduced the concept of holding trials with juries to ensure equitable treatment for individuals accused of misconduct. In present times, we draw upon this historical wisdom to construct our own rendition of justice with the aim of fostering a more harmonious society. By employing this fundamental knowledge, we mold and safeguard the bedrock of our community for the benefit of all.
When given the opportunity to enhance society, I contemplate my personal aspiration for a more just and equal world. I acknowledge that citizens have the capability to effect positive change for the greater good. By remaining silent and surrendering decision-making power to others, we impair our ability to mold our own destiny. It is vital that we educate ourselves on matters concerning social justice and actively engage, even if progress is gradual.
The lack of knowledge is the primary cause of an unjust society. However, when we are uncertain about how to initiate change in society, it becomes challenging. To make these incremental changes ourselves, we must first comprehend the fundamental meanings of “society” and “justice”. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, society defines a human-created entity that unites individuals through shared culture and social organization, where they must abide by identical laws.
The definition of culture, according to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, involves the transmission of knowledge, language, values, customs, and material objects within a human group or society. This encompasses sanctions, beliefs, values, and material objects. Furthermore, social structure includes social practices like one’s status and roles in a social group. In addition to society, justice is closely associated with this concept.
Justice is the quality of being fair and just, according to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. It involves moral rightness, equity, and upholding what is just, including fair treatment and due reward based on honor, standards, or law.
Combining social structure with justice results in the concept of social justice. Social justice means executing laws that follow the natural law stating that all individuals should receive equal treatment without prejudice. This applies irrespective of their background, gender, race, or religion.
Our understanding of justice and society is challenging the concept of a fair and ideal society. Across history, numerous individuals have aimed to attain justice, as mentioned on page one. In my viewpoint, a just society can be characterized by living under equitable laws, with an efficiently structured political system and social frameworks that guarantee equality, as well as personal and political liberties. Many people, including myself, have pondered the potential creation of this utopian society and have presented their own theories.
Both Karl Marx and John Rawls challenged the concept of justice. In his 1846 Communist Manifesto, Marx voiced his opposition to injustice and asserted that history naturally leads to a utopian result. He stressed the notion that societies undergo progressive stages, ultimately constraining human potential as economic demands become dominant. This perspective necessitates the dismantling of the current social framework.
To create this new society, it is necessary for individuals to be organized and engage in the fight against exploitative capitalists. According to Marx, this struggle will ultimately result in triumph for the working class. However, Marx did not manage to identify the specific laws and principles that would bring about the desired just society. John Rawls, another influential political thinker, made significant contributions to the concept of a civil society through his theory of justice.
Rawls’s belief in “social primary goods” encompasses the distribution of rights, powers, income, wealth, and the foundations of self-respect. Unless it benefits the least favored, these goods should be distributed equally (Richardson). John Rawls’s theory proposes two principles of justice: firstly, every individual should have an equal right to liberty; secondly, any social or economic inequalities among individuals should be aimed at benefiting each individual.
To guarantee a constitutional democracy, equal rights and willingness to compromise are necessary for achieving a constitutional consensus. Drawing on the perspectives of Marx and Rawls, I argue that social organization plays a crucial role in building a fairer and more equitable society. A society’s essential framework encompasses the distribution of individuals among various social positions. It is imperative to establish and define appropriate rules and laws within a specific society.
These laws serve the purpose of safeguarding individuals, society, and contributing to societal improvement, forming the bedrock of any fair society. Furthermore, laws enable individuals to anticipate outcomes. Nevertheless, the mere existence of laws does not guarantee justice. The essence of law and order lies in offering sufficient predictability for survival. Typically, dictatorships establish law and order. Once individuals feel assured of their survival, they strive for justice.
The concept of justice is heavily influenced by childhood upbringing in traditional societies. Despite lacking democracy, these societies are capable of offering justice to some extent. Conversely, certain aspects of justice can also be found within modern dictatorships. The downside of traditional dictatorship lies in its inflexibility, while democracy allows for the possibility of removing a government without resorting to civil war. This enables a new government to implement changes to the legal system and enhance justice. In my opinion, democracy serves as the fundamental foundation for any just society.
In a democracy, maintaining common order and defining the expectations of citizens is crucial for elected officials. The government’s main objective is to maximize societal well-being. However, in a democratic system, status within society is determined by the distribution of authoritative power among the majority. The desire for power often becomes problematic when combined with abuse, despite its potential benefits and positive outcomes within an organization.
Exploitation of authority by those in power has become widespread, with many using manipulative tactics. This abuse of power often leads to economic exploitation, causing primary injustices. When a select few individuals take the majority’s share of wealth generated through labor, it creates societal division and conflicting interests, ultimately resulting in conflict. Despite the immense potential for wealth generation within the economy, extreme poverty continues to persist. The upper classes, along with governments influenced by them across different countries, employ deceit and coercion to suppress the aspirations of working populations.
The rulers of various nations engage in conflicts over valuable resources, such as oil, and for dominance in markets and trade. However, it is the impoverished nations that bear the brunt of these battles. It is the working class who find themselves in the midst of wars, enduring the greatest hardships while reaping the fewest benefits. This abuse of power is particularly evident in “I, Rigoberta Menchu”. In her account, Rigoberta sheds light on the mistreatment her culture faced and the suffering endured by families residing among the Ladinos. Her fight centers around securing recognition for her culture and acceptance of its differences, as well as demanding a just allocation of power for her people (Burgos-Debray xiii).
Despite various contributions, Rigoberta chose to become a leader in order to benefit her community, people, and Guatemala. Initially, she acknowledged the importance of instigating internal change in individuals rather than solely concentrating on external factors like altering the hierarchy. She strongly believed that it was the people themselves who had the ability to truly transform society. Regardless of the different ways in which she contributed, the end result remains consistent. If power is abused in a society striving for justice for all, then what principles do we, as citizens, uphold for our society?
The diversity of cultures worldwide enriches our society. Individual freedom is the foremost value in a fair society, impacting all aspects of our community. The belief in individuals having control over their own destiny influenced our government structure, with individual rights protected by the United States Constitution. While large corporations hold economic dominance, many American businesses are small and owned by individuals or families.
Privacy and equality of opportunity are important values, along with culture, values, and norms that shape human interaction in society. Norms serve as rules for social interaction, derived from these values, guiding a society to determine appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. These norms can be expressed through laws or customs. In Achebe’s novel “Things Fall Apart,” the tribe of Okonkwo strictly abides by their values, norms, traditions, and rituals until the arrival of Colonialism.
The Ibo tribe’s essential features began to decline despite Okonkow’s efforts to preserve his culture. Within this novel, one can witness the influence individuals hold over others, causing their other values, culture, and traditions to lose significance. People often weaken others for personal gain, compromising their own way of life. Okwonko vehemently resisted the destruction of his society and culture until the end. The novel is deemed tragic as he ultimately surrenders to the new way of life by rejecting his customs and resorting to suicide.
In the end, the British altered rules and social interactions to align with the emerging colonial society. The previous way of life quickly disintegrated. It is challenging to conceive of methods that could facilitate societal improvement. We all aspire to modify individuals’ attitudes and behaviors towards different races and beliefs, but it is much simpler said than done. If change is necessary, it is evident that transforming behavior must be a primary undertaking, although additional measures are required.
The examination of how our government operates, the distribution of power and control at various levels, the education of others about our desired society, the definition of successful societal laws and rules, and the positive impact of personal and political freedom on a just and evolving society are crucial. I strongly advocate for every individual’s entitlement to freedom, liberty, and happiness. The manner in which we attain these ideals is pivotal in improving lives and realizing the utopian society we have been pursuing in recent centuries.
Works Cited:
The Just Society. Copyright © 2004 – 2008 Knowledge Based Solutions.
Merriam Websters Online Dictionary. Copyright 2009 Merriam websteer incorp.
Karl Marx (1818-1883). The History Guide, copyright © 2000 Steven Kreis, last revised in 2008.
John Rawls by Henry S.Richardson. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, copyright © 2005.
