They say that to do injustice is, by nature, good; to…
““They say that to do injustice is, by nature, good; to suffer injustice, evil, but that the evil is greater than the good. And so when men have both done and suffered injustice and have had experience of both, not being able to avoid the one and obtain the other, they think that they had better agree among themselves to have neither; hence there arise laws and mutual covenants, and that which is ordained by law is termed by them lawful and just. This they affirm to be the origin and nature of justice, it is a mean or compromise, between the best of all, which is to do injustice and not be punished, and the worst of all, which is to suffer injustice without the power of retaliation, and justice, being at a middle point between the two, is tolerated not as a good, but as the lesser evil, and honored by reason of the inability of me to do injustice. For no man who is worthy to be called a man would ever submit to such an agreement if he were able to resist; he would be mad if he did.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Justice is seen as a compromise between the desire to act unjustly without penalty and the suffering of injustice without recourse; it is tolerated as the lesser evil rather than an ideal.
In simple terms: Justice is a middle ground between oppression and victimhood.
Key Takeaway
Justice is a pragmatic compromise, not a moral high point.
Themes
justice
ethics
law
philosophy
human nature
Mood
critical
philosophical
Type
philosophical treatise
ethical analysis
When to use this quote
- legal reform debates
- human rights negotiations
- ethical dilemmas
Key Concepts
social contract theory
moral relativism
Practical Applications
- re‑evaluate legal incentives
- strengthen avenues for redress
Questions to Reflect On
- Can a system rooted in compromise ever achieve genuine justice?
- What alternatives exist to the 'middle‑ground' model?
A Different Perspective
Viewing justice as a lesser evil can legitimize systemic unfairness and discourage pursuit of true fairness.