JusTiCe mEN!

Justice is generally defined as the giving what is due to the other. Most of the time, however, people tend to get confused about its real meaning. The real basis of justice has nothing to do with laws, equity, and the satisfaction of needs. Rather, it is based on the presumptions of human dignity.
The Filipino expression, ‘Huwag mong ilagay ang batas sa iyong mga kamay,’ is an indication of how much we value laws when considering justice. This is a socially accepted standard; not to act against the predefined laws is a moral obligation. However, there are problems in considering laws as our basis for being just. First is that laws are made, thus, man is responsible for creating it using a subjective approach and having a certain degree of bias. Second is that laws change and therefore it evolves and varies as time goes by. Geographical differences (especially between nations) limit the universal application of laws. The injustice, for instance, exists in courts where the wealthy people are influential and in control. Rich individuals are capable of hiring better lawyers than the poor ones. The dissimilarity and unequal rights poses a greater possibility of the rich to gain victory in the court. In a narrow perspective, even lawyers are unjust because they work for money and refuse to stand for what is right. Truly, this inequality by means of wealth leads to unjust actions.
The second misconception is when one relates justice with equity. When one breaks a chocolate bar into eight equal parts for his siblings, he may be unjust in some way. The real basis of justice is never equity because some may need more than what is given. The situation they are in (for instance, if one is in grave situation and the other is not) must be clearly analyzed prior to making sound judgments. The real basis of justice is giving what people need and not what you think is right for them.

When you see a beggar roaming around the streets, would you give him some coins? Oftentimes, we do that because of pity and our drive to reach out. As they say, Filipinos are naturally kind and loving people. With such act, do we consider ourselves being just? The real basis of justice is not the satisfaction of needs. As they say, ‘Give a man a fish and he’ll live for a day, but teach him how to fish and he’ll live for a lifetime’. That means, if you really want to help a beggar, you must do something that will dramatically change his life forever. You can help street children not by giving them lollipops but by sending them to DSWD. Furthermore, you can help an adult beggar by giving them livelihood. This way, you can be assured of their good future.
The basis of justice is human dignity because it’s through human dignity that man becomes equal with others in being rather than of having. Thus, one must consider the total concrete situation of man in relation to the other when we want to be just. Dignity is therefore determined by the kind of relationship that influences the life and action of the person. I truly believe this new definition of justice because it is more concrete and fair insofar as the welfare of mankind is concerned.