Comments on: The Virtuous Life: Justice

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 20:32:29 +0000

This has been an interesting series. I applaud your efforts to resurrect the real manliness in modern men.
About stepping in: Most of this worlds evil is done by those with good intentions. (Or, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”.) We can practice justice by not initiating force against anyone. We can not protect people, especially from their own stupidity by using force. We CAN however persuade them to choose of their own free will to make smart choices and thereby avoid most of life’s evils. On the other hand, in some cases, we can use force to help those who specifically choose to ask for our protection.
If you want to participate in a charitable effort, try the FIRST Foundation (usfirst.org). That is where I help my community. It is probably the most important and effective non-profit I have ever seen. They have partners all over the world doing the same projects (firstlegoleague.org).

By: [转] Benjamin Franklin’s List of 13 Virtues - As the deer

[转] Benjamin Franklin’s List of 13 Virtues - As the deer — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:58:43 +0000

[...] Justice: Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty. What is justice? For millennia philosophers have debated this question. Justice, like beauty or goodness, is an ethereal and hard to define concept. Catholic theologian and philosopher St. Thomas Aquinas put it quite succinctly when he defined justice as the constant and perpetual will to render to everyone his due. [...]

By: Nova

Nova — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 04:26:30 +0000

I would just add the warning/reminder that stepping in is NOT always the best thing to do when you see a woman being publically mistreated. It is hard to judge what action to take, because you don’t know that your interference won’t cause the woman even worse repercussions when they’re next in private.

Instead if you are interested in mitigating violence against women I would recommend focussing on its root causes and doing things like: talking about physical/sexual violence amongst your other male friends; calling your friends out on it when you think or know they’re perpetrating some kind of violence; not letting it slide when other men use denigrating language against women; raise your sons to be respectful and appreciative of women; etc.

By: Brett

Brett — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:14:38 +0000

@Kieron-I think it’s a gut call. It depends on the amount of violence and the intensity of what is going on. If the dude who’s doing the harassing has escalated into a the violence into a full on beating or if he looks like you might be able to take him if it should come to that, or if it seems that if you don’t intervene immediately the victim is going to die or be caused serious harm, than its best to step in. If these things are not the case, it is probably best to call the police. At any rate, the thing to do would be to try to defuse the situation, not get involved in a fistfight.

By: Kieron

Kieron — Tue, 20 May 2008 12:30:27 +0000

Hey,

How should a man apply justice when they see a person who’s getting a beating on the street? Get involved? Call the police?

By: Ken

Ken — Thu, 15 May 2008 22:13:58 +0000

Digg led me to this site yesterday, and I must say it’s terrific! Bring back real men!

On the subject of Justice, however, I think there is much confusion today with respect to its definition. Too many today define justice as equality of outcome rather than equality of opportunity, then use this to justify taking things away from those who work hard to give to those who are able but lazy. Just because your friend has earned a nice house and car because he’s taken risks and worked 80-hour weeks doesn’t mean you deserve the same while you’re sitting on your butt and playing it safe.

I fear that the lazy are on their way to becoming a majority in this country, and once they do, what’s prevent them from voting all kinds of juicy entitlements for themselves at the expense of the hard-working risk takers?

By: Brett McKay

Brett McKay — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:57:33 +0000

@Kyntfyre-I am glad you are enjoying AoM. Good to have you here. I think of lot of guys, like you, grew up without the influence of a father or positive male role model. Part of the reason I started AoM was to create a resource for those guys to encourage them in their path of becoming better men.

By: knytfyre

knytfyre — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 15:42:51 +0000

Like Jim, I have begun to really enjoy the time I get to read the articles here on AoM, and look forward to seeing an email announcing a new posting. My parents divorced when I was 7, and from that time on I lived with my mother and my sister. Being the only boy in a house with no constant male role-model, I never quite developed many of the manly virtues. Reading AoM has really began to turn my life around. I was very much a 36 year old teenager. Where once I spent my free time gaming, I have now developed a love for the outdoors and the little labors that often come with owning a house. The Franklin’s virtuous life postings have been of particular use for me, helping me to shrug off the clinging teenager and fully embrace what it is to become a grown man, something I was fought with all my strength.

As for this posting about justice, I feel this my be Franklin’s most difficult virtue to implement yet. Justice being ethereal requires us to first understand in ourselves what Justice even is. The other virtues were much more concrete in their definitions and easily nailed down to particular actions, where Justice requires us to learn what it is in the first place, then to work to make it happen. It is not simply a change one makes in ourselves, but a change we make in our world. I saw the program mentioned about people verbally abusing someone and no one stopping to help. It is a terrible thing and that, along with this posting, have made me realize one simple truth. Justice is found in looking outward rather than inward. We as men must defend those that are unable to defend themselves, we must do what we would want others to do if it were us, our spouse, our children, or any other loved one in that situation. Too many times in the ultra-connected world we choose to look only to ourselves and leave the rest to do the same. It is this apathy that has us where we are today. It’s time to take our eyes off of watching only what is ours, and see the world. But that is not enough, when we see the world, we must take action, and that my friends, is the truly scary part.

By: Brett McKay

Brett McKay — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:48:03 +0000

@Rocketboy- I think I’m with Gary on this one. I’m all for limiting the power of government, but dismantling it completely not so much. If limiting the role of government is a goal, then you should support statesmen who will help achieve that goal. Ron Paul sounds like your kind of guy.

@Corey I like the idea of a news fast. In fact, I’ll often go days without checking in on the news. I think most news is crap. Especially 24 hour news channels. That’s why I prefer NPR or magazines like the Economist or Atlantic Monthly.

By: Corey - Simple Marriage Project

Corey - Simple Marriage Project — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:07:20 +0000

I like the idea of reading noble things, but must take issue with the news sources. To me, it is great to try and hear both sides before deciding one way or another, but most news sources are all destruction and horror. It is easy to become slanting thinking everything is going wrong in the country or world.

Instead, go on a news fast. I am on month 3 and loving it. I keep up with major happenings through friends and family and the occasional headline on Yahoo. This has freed up more time with my wife and with friends. I have begun to focus more on what’s going on immediately around me. It’s great.

Keep up the good work Brett.