“Plan harm for another and harm yourself most, the evil we hatch always comes home to roost”
Hesiod
Homer explains that striving for excellence in all aspects of life would enable one to act justly. Hesiod describes that the concept of justice is directly connected to peace and tranquility such that just rulers build flourishing societies while unjust leaders cause societies to fall. Solon suggests that social imbalances would lead to injustices and ultimately the collapse of societies. Socrates defines justice as one of the fundamental human virtues and therefore a state of the soul. According to Plato a just person is able to create balance among the three elements of their soul which are the desire, the spirit and the reason.
Researchers believe that the concept of justice as we know it goes back to the sixth century BC but one can argue that justice is as old as human being’s existence. Justice finds its meaning in regards to our interactions with our surroundings be it the natural resources or other human beings.
Justice is the pillar to uphold “the tent of existence”, it is the “cause of the well-being of the world” and “the protection of the nations”. Our lives as human beings depend on justice because it brings order and tranquility to societies.
“The light of men is justice; quench it not with the contrary winds of oppression and tyranny. The purpose of justice is the appearance of unity among people.”
Justice requires one to consider humanity as one single human body. Surely, if a member of this body is hurt or injured, the rest of the body will naturally suffer. Although we may seem as discrete individuals, in reality we are closely integrated and connected like the different limbs and organs of the human body. Viewed in this light, justice demands us to regard the welfare of the community as our own; therefore, any decision we make or any action we take, we must thoroughly and rigorously assess its impacts on the welfare of not only ourselves but other individuals and the community in large. Justice requires one to consider the rights of all the people regardless of their class, nationality, race, creed and beliefs.
With the aid of technology, now more than ever before, we are living in an interconnected society where the impacts of our actions, decisions and behaviors are visible and evident. For example, with the help of technology, one is able to record an act of kindness or an unjust act and share it with the world to see instantaneously. Something impossible previously, except for the person who was present to witness the occurrence of the event. This is of great importance, and demands both the user and the developer of a technology a significant amount of accountability. Technology is a tool that if developed and used justly, promotes human’s life and extends their capabilities.
Imagine a robotic company which is given the opportunity to design robotic arms that would help the individuals with disability to facilitate their daily activities.
- How can such a company practice justice to make their technology accessible and affordable to all who are in need?
- What other entities are responsible for making such technologies accessible to those who need it?
“Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and center your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements.”
Many communities around the world are in need of basic necessities such as clean water, reliable electricity, sanitation and energy. However, we witness that every year so many resources around the globe are used to develop technologies that are either used for warfare and destruction or technologies that do not answer the immediate needs of our age, when such resources can be dedicated to developing capacity in the population to provide their basic needs.
- As a tech developer how can you assess that the technology you are developing is addressing the important needs of humanity?
- As a tech user, how can you assess that the time and the money you are spending on technology is contributing to justice?
Justice requires one to investigate the reality with their own knowledge and understanding not merely following others. Because every human being is endowed with a unique set of capacities and talents that if utilized brings unique perspectives to the world and if not utilized the world will be deprived from it. We all have probably heard of the story of ‘The elephant in the dark room’, where an elephant was brought into a dark room to be exhibited. People in the dark room couldn’t see the exhibition, except by touching and feeling the elephant in the dark. One person touched the trunk and thought it was a water pipe, another felt the ear and said that it was a large fan, a different person touched the leg and thought it must be a pillar, another felt the back and believed it must be a throne. The message of the story is that everyone’s understanding of reality is bounded by their experience. We all have a piece of truth, and when all pieces are put together through collaboration and consultation, we can reach the whole truth collectively.
- How much do the technologies we use in our daily lives encourage us to investigate reality on our own?
- How much technology makes us to be a passive follower of other people’s beliefs, lifestyles and understanding?
“The virtue of justice consists in moderation, as regulated by wisdom.”
Aristotle
Justice prevents one from crossing the limits of moderation in their thoughts and actions. We are living in the era of digital technologies where more and more human interactions from shopping, medicine, working to human social life are being replaced by virtual relationships, and as a result we are becoming more and more isolated. Although the positive impacts of digital technologies are indisputable, if the usage ‘overleaps the bounds of moderation’, they cause great harm and destruction to society.
- How does justice enable a developer and/or user of a technology to not go beyond the limits of moderation?
- How can wisdom regulate our usage or development of technology?
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