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Single Idea 4559

[filed under theme 23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / c. Justice ]

Full Idea

One desires freedom as long as one does not possess power. Once one does possess it, one desires to overpower; if one cannot do that (if one is too weak), one desires 'justice', i.e. equal power.

Gist of Idea

When powerless one desires freedom; if power is too weak, one desires equal power ('justice')

Source

Friedrich Nietzsche (The Will to Power (notebooks) [1888], §784)

Book Ref

Nietzsche,Friedrich: 'The Will to Power', ed/tr. Kaufmann,W /Hollingdate,R [Vintage 1968], p.412

A Reaction

Personally I hope the Martians have freedom and justice, but that is presumably just a sublimation. People have given up power for freedom and justice.

The 30 ideas with the same theme [correct behaviour towards other people]:

5244 For Pythagoreans, justice is simply treating all people the same [Pythagoras, by Aristotle]
441 Against a villain, villainy is not a useless weapon [Epicharmus]
346 One ought not to return a wrong or injury to any person, whatever the provocation [Socrates]
119 A criminal is worse off if he avoids punishment [Plato]
129 Do most people praise self-discipline and justice because they are too timid to gain their own pleasure? [Plato]
266 Injustice is the mastery of the soul by bad feelings, even if they do not lead to harm [Plato]
2092 Simonides said morality is helping one's friends and harming one's enemies [Plato]
23562 If the parts of our soul do their correct work, we will be just people, and will act justly [Plato]
5151 Justice concerns our behaviour in dealing with other people [Aristotle]
4389 What emotion is displayed in justice, and what are its deficiency and excess? [Urmson on Aristotle]
5240 The word 'unjust' describes law-breaking and exploitation [Aristotle]
5242 Justice is whatever creates or preserves social happiness [Aristotle]
23556 Particular justice concerns specific temptations, but universal justice concerns the whole character [Aristotle]
5261 Between friends there is no need for justice [Aristotle]
22553 Justice is a virtue of communities [Aristotle]
14513 Justice is a pledge of mutual protection [Epicurus]
500 The wrongdoer is more unfortunate than the person wronged [Democritus (attr)]
6001 Justice is a disposition to distribute according to desert [Diogenes of Babylon, by Blank]
6288 Don't resist evil, but turn the other cheek [Jesus]
6822 Those who avenge themselves when wronged incur no guilt [Mohammed]
23177 Justice directs our relations with others, because it denotes a kind of equality [Aquinas]
2376 Injustice is the failure to keep a contract, and justice is the constant will to give what is owed [Hobbes]
23560 If we all naturally had everything we could ever desire, the virtue of justice would be irrelevant [Hume]
3922 Justice only exists to support society [Hume]
14816 Justice (fairness) originates among roughly equal powers (as the Melian dialogues show) [Nietzsche]
4559 When powerless one desires freedom; if power is too weak, one desires equal power ('justice') [Nietzsche]
22472 The practice of justice may well need a recognition of human equality [Foot]
22479 Observing justice is necessary to humans, like hunting to wolves or dancing to bees [Foot]
8001 'Dikaiosune' is justice, but also fairness and personal integrity [MacIntyre]
4286 Only just people will drop their own self-interests when faced with an impartial verdict [Scruton]