When Justice Served Means Injustice, Blame The Justice Chimera

Justice, for the ancient Greeks, was a virtue of the soul that created harmony both within an individual and in society. Mostly, we think of a just society as one that promotes the common good and the happiness of its citizens. It’s an essential component of a good life and a well-ordered society that aims for the common interest and happiness of its citizens.

"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals;

separated from law and justice, he is the worst."

- Aristotle

Within the justice system, laws are created, to give justice a visible face- a set of rules chosen by society as the tenets by which they choose to live, that evolve as societies change and grow. And so justice becomes a three-dimensional being- a philosophy, expanded through laws, driven by people, for people. Kind of like a three-headed monster, or the multi-dimensional Chimera from Greek philosophy.

Justice In Philosophy

Recognized as the first philosopher, Thales of Miletus, who lived in the 7th-6th century BCE in an ancient Greek port city, believed justice was based on both the letter of the law and its spirit: both rules and fairness were important.

When it came to politics, Thales leaned toward a form of "benign tyranny" rather than democracy, which he distrusted as an unreliable system. He also believed that a person should expect the same support from their children as they gave to their parents. Both these concepts have fallen by the wayside- only authoritarians still punt tyranny as an effective form of government, while the parental estrangement trend has reached pandemic proportions, with Gen Z more isolated from their families than ever before.

Thales did leave a piece of common-sense moral advice:

"We should not do to ourselves that for which we blame others."

But Thales is more famous for his scientific and mathematical contributions than for his contribution to justice. Somewhat more recent Greek philosophers, Plato (circa 428 BCE) and Aristotle (circa 384 BCE), further developed the legalistic concept of justice.

In Greek philosophy, justice is seen as a virtue of the soul that creates harmony both within an individual and in society. Plato leveraged the soul connection, seeing justice as a mechanism in which the soul and each class of society perform their respective functions. Aristotle saw justice as a matter of lawfulness and fairness, notably in the equitable distribution of goods and resources.

"Justice in the life and conduct of the State is possible

 only as first it resides in the hearts and souls of the citizens"

Plato

While both Plato and Aristotle saw justice as an essential component of a good life and a well-ordered society that aims for the common interest and happiness of its citizens, Aristotle provided a more practical and nuanced view of justice, emphasizing its role in social and economic distribution and the law, while Plato focused on a more rigid, hierarchical structure.

And who better to create an ordered society than the Romans, who constructed order through their advanced legal system, military organization, and efficient bureaucracy. They codified laws and the concept of representative democracy, while the military maintained control over vast territories and went on to conquer even more, which, in hindsight, is difficult to spin as just for the nations they conquered.

Roman philosophy, which had begun around the 3rd century BCE, was elevated by an Athenian embassy that brought Greek Hellenistic philosophy to Rome in 155 BCE. The Romans adapted Greek philosophies to their own cultural context, with a particular emphasis on ethics and politics.

Cicero, a Roman statesman, lawyer, orator, and philosopher who lived from 106 BCE to 43 BCE, helped introduce Greek philosophy to Rome and is credited with popularizing Stoicism, which became a dominant philosophy in the Roman Republic and Empire. Cicero saw justice as a virtue, and the legal system, particularly in its codified form, was fundamental to maintaining the empire's authority and stability, although access was often unequal. Over 2,000 years later, it still is.

Roman philosophy on justice was a blend of the abstract concept of "rendering to each his due" and a practical legal system that emphasized public order, codified laws, and social hierarchy. The Romans implemented a complex system of governors, tax collection, and public works to manage the day-to-day running of the empire and enforce order in both the provinces and the city of Rome itself.

"Justice is the set and constant purpose which gives every man his due."

Marcus Tullius Cicero

And yet, as Greek and Roman philosophy mingled, with all the souls on Earth trailing along, with each class of society performing its own function as Aristotle imagined, somewhere, somehow, everything went horribly wrong.

The Chimera

One of the more fascinating monsters in Greek mythology, long before the Greeks discovered philosophy as a better, more meaningful form of literature, the Chimera, Chimaera, Chimæra, or Khimaira- the 'she-goat', a monstrous fire-breathing hybrid creature from Lycia in the Ottoman Empire- emerged.

Composed of different animal parts- usually depicted as a lion with a goat's head protruding from its back and a tail ending in a snake's head, artistic depictions of the Chimera occasionally feature dragon wings.

Homer, the ancient Greek poet traditionally credited with writing the Iliad and the Odyssey, is believed to have lived in the 8th century BCE- long before Plato and Aristotle appeared in Athens. In the Iliad, Homer says of the Chimera, "she was of divine stock not of men, in the fore part a lion, in the hind a serpent, and in the midst a goat, breathing forth in terrible wise the might of blazing fire."

But the modern-day meaning of the term "chimera" is any mythical or fictional creature composed of parts from various animals, and, much like justice, it describes anything composed of disparate parts or perceived as wildly imaginative, implausible, or dazzling.

Figuratively, "chimera" refers to an unrealistic, or unrealisable, wild, foolish, or vain dream, notion, or objective. Again- much like justice.

In the Iliad, the hero Bellerophon, helped by the winged horse Pegasus and "trusting in the signs of the gods", succeeded in killing the Chimera. By soaring on high, the hero shot down the Chimera from the height.

The fire-breathing terror that had ravaged the land of Lycia, the Chimera, was killed by the Greek hero Bellerophon on instructions from the King of Lycia, Iobates, who gave Bellerophon the impossible mission to kill the Chimera, hoping the beast would destroy the hero instead.

The Justice Chimera

Justice is a philosophy, expanded through laws, driven by people, for people. Kind of like a three-headed monster, or the multi-dimensional Chimera from Greek philosophy. Justice itself could be represented by the lion's head of the Chimera, the goat's head representing codified laws. It's easy to imagine the serpent as the people hissing from the rear, whether it’s to access justice, or challenge it.

Even whistleblowers, playing their part in having justice served, often at great personal cost, don’t escape the justice Chimera. But while Cicero imagined that justice would give every man his due, values have changed, and as a later-day philosopher, George Orwell, wisely observed, “some animals are more equal than others.”

Strictly speaking, the three principles of justice are:

• Fairness: Processes and hearings that are impartial.

• Equality: Treating everyone the same

• Access (Rights): Everyone has equal opportunity to benefit from systems and resources.

Justice is realized through the application of principles of fairness, equality, and rights, through legal systems and social institutions, and through the upholding of human rights. Fundamentally, it means all people receive what they are due, as Cicero suggested, with equals treated equally. Philosophically and ethically, justice is realized when a society's institutions and processes ensure everyone's rights are protected and fundamental goods are distributed fairly. Yet, what is "due" or "equal" has become increasingly subjective.

But, as Cicero says, "The foundation of justice is good faith."

The concept of justice has existed in natural law, probably since humans first formed groups, where justice is a universal moral standard derived from nature, reason, or a divine source, revolving around the idea that individuals should be treated fairly and receive what is due to them.

The indigenous KhoiSan people, arguably the oldest surviving civilization, built their lives around the natural world, believing that all parts of it are connected and that man has no primacy over any other life. Unlike the rigid Greco-Roman version of justice, the San believe that disrespecting or disturbing the natural order of the universe is the ultimate sin. And they say, within their system, “Healing Makes Our Hearts Happy,” so they may be onto something- that's what we all want, right?

Yet humans- the apex form of life on the planet- created a new form of justice, a legalistic justice that emanated from philosophical justice, to better align their way of life with their goals- to live in a just society, to be happy, and to thrive.

But much like Dr. Frankenstein's monster, the monstrous justice Chimera we created, legalistic justice, went rogue, committing figurative and literal murders and acts of revenge after its creator, mankind, abandoned it. Perhaps the justice Chimera’s monstrous actions were a result of its traumatic rejection and lack of sensible guidance, rather than inherent evil, and because the concept of justice can hardly be seen as evil.

Frankenstein’s monster’s actions, while horrifying, were driven by a desire to make its creator suffer as he had suffered. Not dissimilarly, we see that when injustice prevails under the guise of justice- for example, when an authoritarian government passes draconian laws to dispense a cruel form of justice to its citizens, elevating the rights and entitlements of an elite few far above the rest.

Like sadists who derive pleasure from suffering, for too many people, dispensing a perverted form of justice is becoming the norm- not just in African dictatorships, but around the world. The justice chimera has become all too real to the countless people fighting for their rights globally.

While people understand the concept of justice, many choose to reinterpret or repurpose this noble philosophy to serve an entirely different agenda. And when that happens, the justice Chimera becomes a fire-breathing monster that destroys not just everything in its path, but it also ravages justice itself, and the belief in justice- a vital element for a livable world. The serpent’s tail spits poison at the goat and lion.

Judges, Lawyers, And Justice Served Cold

Governments globally are increasingly being accused of corruption by the citizens who vote them in to serve, in democracies- where the citizenry hold out the often vain hope that their vote counts and that justice will be served. But the system is rigged, and democracy, as it turns out, isn't the silver bullet it was advertised to be. And justice feels like it's slipping away, too.

Justice, Cicero’s "mistress and queen of all the virtues," now depends on its interpretations, and the interpretation of justice depends on who the interpreter is. Judges and lawyers, the purveyors of justice, are vital cogs in the wheels of justice, and we rely on them to interpret justice- ethically and honestly.

In most countries, judges remain the last outpost, the last bulwark against injustice, but are under increased pressure and facing heavier caseloads because the system below isn't functioning as it should. Because up to 90% of lawyers give the rest a bad name and have forgotten the advice of another Greek philosopher, Sophocles, who said, "Rather fail with honour, than succeed by fraud."

More recent philosophers from both sides of the Atlantic have made sage observations about the disappearance of good faith:

“A lawyer is a gentleman who rescues your estate from your enemies

and keeps it for himself.”

- Henry Peter Brougham, the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, who played a prominent role in passing the Reform Act 1832 and the Slavery Abolition Act 1833.

“A jury consists of twelve persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer.”

– Robert Lee Frost, an American poet in the early 20th century.

Given that lawyers are essential to justice, not only by serving as advocates for individuals and groups, defending rights, upholding the rule of law, and ensuring fair and equal access to the legal system, but they are specifically tasked with ensuring that both individual rights and the integrity of the justice system are protected and advanced.

"Justice looks for no prize and no price;

it is sought for itself, and is at once the cause and meaning of all the virtues."

Cicero

Yet, tragically, prize and price are all that matter to the majority of lawyers, who spew lies and venom from the serpentine tail of the justice chimera, with no regard to justice. Not natural justice, not ancient Greek justice that creates harmony both within an individual and in society, and not ancient Roman justice that gives every man his due. Greed, one of the seven deadly sins, often prevails.

It's all about winning and extracting vast fees for themselves. There's no terrible wise in the might of their blazing fire. Justice is a philosophy, expanded through laws, driven by people, for people. Kind of like a three-headed monster, or the multi-dimensional Chimera from Greek philosophy. Like Frankenstein's monster, the judicial servants, with little to no self-awareness, using a sanctimonious mask to compensate for their failings and fears, make justice- their reason for being, their function, their creator, suffer as they may have suffered, soaring in from high, they shot down the Chimera from the height.

Man is losing his place as the noblest of all animals, and as Aristotle predicted over 2,000 years ago, having been separated from law and justice, he is the worst.

The justice chimera has become an unrealistic, unrealisable, wild, foolish, vain dream, notion, or objective. Perhaps we need to revisit natural justice and revise our systems around what really matters: the happiness of all. Equally, not just for the politicians and lawyers who have their sticky fingers on the levers of justice.

Read more about how natural justice is making hearts happy