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Single Idea 8001

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

Full Idea

The Greek 'dikaiosune' is inadequately translated as 'justice', but also as any other word; it combines the notion of fairness in externals with that of personal integrity in a way that no English word does.

Gist of Idea

'Dikaiosune' is justice, but also fairness and personal integrity

Source

Alasdair MacIntyre (A Short History of Ethics [1967], Ch. 1)

Book Ref

MacIntyre,Alasdair: 'A Short History of Ethics' [Routledge 1967], p.11


A Reaction

'Dikaiosune' is said to be the main topic of Plato's 'Republic'. Plato seems to have meant it to cover whatever makes a good character. Justice in behaviour presumably flows from internal justice of character (which is, roughly, inner harmony).


The 11 ideas from 'A Short History of Ethics'

'Dikaiosune' is justice, but also fairness and personal integrity [MacIntyre]
Sophists don't distinguish a person outside one social order from someone outside all order [MacIntyre]
When Aristotle speaks of soul he means something like personality [MacIntyre]
'Happiness' is a bad translation of 'eudaimonia', which includes both behaving and faring well [MacIntyre]
The Bible is a story about God in which humans are incidental characters [MacIntyre]
The value/fact logical gulf is misleading, because social facts involve values [MacIntyre]
In the Reformation, morality became unconditional but irrational, individually autonomous, and secular [MacIntyre]
The Levellers and the Diggers mark a turning point in the history of morality [MacIntyre]
I am naturally free if I am not tied to anyone by a contract [MacIntyre]
My duties depend on my identity, which depends on my social relations [MacIntyre]
Fans of natural rights or laws can't agree on what the actual rights or laws are [MacIntyre]