One of my readers, commented on my latest post which I titled: Why do people expect a universe full of randomness to be fair?.
is of the opinion that it is fallacious to assume that a just course can lead to fairness. He thinks people can ‘fight’ for justice in an unfair manner.
When I looked at his position, I think he is some how mixing ‘revenge’ for justice. I replied him that his point would form the basis for my next post and I intend to do that here.
There is a clear difference between justice and revenge. In most cases, these two powerful terms are muddled up by those who have little or no adequate understanding of the word 'justice'. I will like to state unequivocally that these two terms are different and are not related in any way.
Justice is the fairness in protection of rights and punishment of wrongs.
Revenge means to exact punishment or expiation for a wrong on behalf of, especially in a resentful or vindictive spirit.
It should be noted that a 'true' justice is fair and revenge no matter how 'noble' it seems can never be fair.
A critical look on revenge cases will show us that in most cases, they are carried out from personal and emotional stand points. May be someone in the 'authority' used his power and influence to offend you by taking away your property or something that belong to you illegally and instead of you to seek for justice via the legal system, you choose to employ some hoodlums to carry out this act under the pretense that you want justice for what was done to you. What you are doing is far from being just. You cannot commit the same crime you are 'fighting' someone for by putting laws into your hands. What you are about to carry out is called revenge. A 'just' scenario is the one that follows proper judicial procedures. Even if the judgement against you looks unjust, the best you can do is to re-appeal so that the case is revisited.
You cannot be vindictive because you want to prove a point. Two wrongs don't make a right. You might corrupt yourself morally in the process. You won’t be different from the accused if you try to carry out 'justice' out of revenge. Revenge is revenge no matter how noble it looks.
Revenge always leads to more revenge. Anger leads to hate. If you revenge an incident, then you open yourself to another revenge from another person. This will probably continue in a cycle (a situation called ‘cycle of violence’). But when you let justice take its course, it ends future threats and kills the whole situation.
If you give justice chance to take its course, then it shows you are a rational being who knows that law is superior to any emotional impulse. Justice is often used interchangeably with fairness not because they are the same thing but because people believe that a just course is a fair one.
So in the process of seeking justice, avoid revenge. Do not mix them together by trying to prove a point. You cannot take the laws into your hands.
From the above, it is evident that justice is different from revenge. I also disagree with that it is fallacious to think justice can be achieved. It is true that in some cases, the system might be corrupted but this does not mean a just course is not achievable.