--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Justice? What is justice? It's a mere…" description: "\"“Justice? What is justice? It's a mere word. It's an abstract word with no universal meaning. To different classes of people, justice means different t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b19/nien-cheng-28483_justice_justice-what-is-justice-it-s-a-mere-word_1268117.png" --- # Justice? What is justice? It's a mere word. It's an… ![“Justice? What is justice? It's a mere word. It's an abstract word with no universal meaning. To different classes of people, justice means different things.” quote by Nien Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b19/nien-cheng-28483_justice_justice-what-is-justice-it-s-a-mere-word_1268117.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b19/nien-cheng-28483_justice_justice-what-is-justice-it-s-a-mere-word_1268117.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b19/nien-cheng-28483_justice_justice-what-is-justice-it-s-a-mere-word_1268117.png) > ““Justice? What is justice? It's a mere word. It's an abstract word with no universal meaning. To different classes of people, justice means different things.”” [Nien Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nien-cheng/) ## 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 a fluid concept that varies across social groups, lacking a single universal definition. **In simple terms:** Justice means different things to different people. Key Takeaway Recognize diverse perspectives on fairness. Themes justice subjectivity social class Mood reflective critical Type philosophical social When to use this quote - policy debates - community mediation - legal reform - education curricula - human rights advocacy Key Concepts relativism ethics law Questions to Reflect On - How do personal experiences shape your view of justice? - Can a single system satisfy all groups? A Different Perspective Universal definitions may overlook cultural nuances. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaning/) ## Related quotes > [We must demonstrate to the American people that in our system of justice all are equal under law, and that there are not two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamala-harris/we-must-demonstrate-to-the-american-people-that-in-our-system-of/) [Kamala Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamala-harris/) > [“Our life is our responsibility, and if we want something from other people, justice requires that we earn it through voluntary exchange. The bare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-watkins/our-life-is-our-responsibility-and-if-we-want-something-from-other/) [Don Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-watkins/) > [I think our criminal justice system has two problems. We have systematic problems and we have people problems. So if the hearts of people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-moore/i-think-our-criminal-justice-system-has-two-problems-we-have/) [Maya Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-moore/) > [Six months have passed since that horrible, horrible event of terrorism in the twin towers and Washington. I hope people all over the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamid-karzai/six-months-have-passed-since-that-horrible-horrible-event-of/) [Hamid Karzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamid-karzai/) > [“but I knew I had to do something…not only for Adam, but to help win something for Ben, to show that sometimes just sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-kelly/but-i-knew-i-had-to-do-something-not-only-for-adam-but-to-help-win/) Marie Kelly > [Somewhere within the concept of justice, the worst of the guilty must always be removed. I cannot divorce this, not completely. The people must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanne-barr/somewhere-within-the-concept-of-justice-the-worst-of-the-guilty-must/) [Roseanne Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanne-barr/) > [Being the DA was, without a doubt, the best job in the world. I loved knowing that people would get their justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanine-pirro/being-the-da-was-without-a-doubt-the-best-job-in-the-world-i-loved/) [Jeanine Pirro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanine-pirro/) > [Men are always invoking justice; yet it is justice which should make them tremble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-swetchine/men-are-always-invoking-justice-yet-it-is-justice-which-should-make/) [Sophie Swetchine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-swetchine/) > [Social justice is a cancer. Social justice means you are ruled by whatever the mob does. What social justice does is destroy individual responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-cruz/social-justice-is-a-cancer-social-justice-means-you-are-ruled-by/) [Rafael Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-cruz/) > [“For our children-not your children, but ours-the children of the poor gentlemen looked down upon by everyone-know what justice means, sir, even at nine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/for-our-children-not-your-children-but-ours-the-children-of-the-poor/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [Justice is the means by which established injustices are sanctioned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/justice-is-the-means-by-which-established-injustices-are-sanctioned/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [In matters of government, justice means force as well as virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/in-matters-of-government-justice-means-force-as-well-as-virtue/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [“As though you could use violent, unjust means and achieve peace and justice! Means determine ends; and must be like the ends proposed. Means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/as-though-you-could-use-violent-unjust-means-and-achieve-peace-and/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Justice never means "treating everybody the same way", but "treating people appropriately".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/justice-never-means-treating-everybody-the-same-way-but-treating/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [Justice means minding ones own business and not meddling with other mens concerns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/justice-means-minding-ones-own-business-and-not-meddling-with-other/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) ## More by Nien Cheng > [“My own outlook and my values had been formed long ago. I did not believe in dividing people into rigid classes, and I did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nien-cheng/my-own-outlook-and-my-values-had-been-formed-long-ago-i-did-not/) [Nien Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nien-cheng/) > [“As I gazed at Mao’s face wearing what was intended as a benign expression but was in fact a smirk of self-satisfaction, I wondered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nien-cheng/as-i-gazed-at-mao-s-face-wearing-what-was-intended-as-a-benign/) [Nien Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nien-cheng/) > [Ji-li's deeply moving story should be on the shelf of every person's library. Her courage in the face of adversity and her steadfast loyalty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nien-cheng/ji-li-s-deeply-moving-story-should-be-on-the-shelf-of-every-person-s/) [Nien Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nien-cheng/) > [“Pilfering was common in Communist China’s state-owned enterprises, as the Party secretaries were slack in guarding properties that belonged to the government and poorly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nien-cheng/pilfering-was-common-in-communist-china-s-state-owned-enterprises-as/) [Nien Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nien-cheng/) > [“For so many years, the official propaganda machinery had denounced humanitarianism as sentimental trash and advocated human relations based entirely on class allegiance. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nien-cheng/for-so-many-years-the-official-propaganda-machinery-had-denounced/) [Nien Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nien-cheng/) > [“One of the most ugly aspects of life in Communist China during the Mao Zedong era was the Party’s demand that people inform on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nien-cheng/one-of-the-most-ugly-aspects-of-life-in-communist-china-during-the/) [Nien Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nien-cheng/) > [“Bad experience is more bearable when you are not the only sufferer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nien-cheng/bad-experience-is-more-bearable-when-you-are-not-the-only-sufferer/) [Nien Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nien-cheng/) > [“But it also had many large posters with messages of a more peaceful nature. These extolled the country’s economic achievement since the Cultural Revolution,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nien-cheng/but-it-also-had-many-large-posters-with-messages-of-a-more-peaceful/) [Nien Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nien-cheng/) > [“Large portraits of Mao on wooden boards several feet high stood at main street corners. Painted to make the old man look extremely youthful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nien-cheng/large-portraits-of-mao-on-wooden-boards-several-feet-high-stood-at/) [Nien Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nien-cheng/) > [“As I stood in the room looking at it for the last time, I felt again the cold metal of the handcuffs on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nien-cheng/as-i-stood-in-the-room-looking-at-it-for-the-last-time-i-felt-again/) [Nien Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nien-cheng/) > [“But after living in Communist China for the past seventeen years, I knew that such a society was only a dream because those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nien-cheng/but-after-living-in-communist-china-for-the-past-seventeen-years-i/) [Nien Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nien-cheng/) > [I think the democratic movement will be repressed for now, only to erupt again somewhere down the line.And more blood will be shed, just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nien-cheng/i-think-the-democratic-movement-will-be-repressed-for-now-only-to/) [Nien Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nien-cheng/) > [“I supposed the Red Guards had enjoyed themselves. Is it not true that we all possess some destructive tendencies in our nature? The veneer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nien-cheng/i-supposed-the-red-guards-had-enjoyed-themselves-is-it-not-true-that/) [Nien Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nien-cheng/) > [“While I listened to the words of homage to Mao, I remembered Mao’s awesome power, like a blanket over China threatening to smother whomever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nien-cheng/while-i-listened-to-the-words-of-homage-to-mao-i-remembered-mao-s/) [Nien Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nien-cheng/) > [“From the point of view of the Chinese Communist Party, the greatest casualties of the Cultural Revolution were the Party’s prestige and its ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nien-cheng/from-the-point-of-view-of-the-chinese-communist-party-the-greatest/) [Nien Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nien-cheng/) [Explore all 19 Nien Cheng quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nien-cheng/) ## More Justice quotes > [Never fight on the wrong side; you might win but the burden of guilt is more than a loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilian-salan/never-fight-on-the-wrong-side-you-might-win-but-the-burden-of-guilt/) [Lilian Salan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilian-salan/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [“Crime and punishment can be summed up in two classifications: there are bad people and there are people who get into bad situations. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-dent-jr/crime-and-punishment-can-be-summed-up-in-two-classifications-there/) [Johnnie Dent Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-dent-jr/) > [In the battle for police reform, accountability and justice, Americans don't have to re-invent the wheel. We just have to revoke the thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/in-the-battle-for-police-reform-accountability-and-justice-americans/) [Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/) > [“Why do so many people do nothing? I think it’s because most of us look at the evils and injustice around us, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/why-do-so-many-people-do-nothing-i-think-it-s-because-most-of-us-look/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [“The jailers, the Court, everyone in that building – it wasn’t about justice; it was about obedience and intimidation…about maintaining order. Fear accomplished that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-allan/the-jailers-the-court-everyone-in-that-building-it-wasn-t-about/) [Jay Allan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-allan/) > [Civilized nations are ones that simply can't endure wrongs or injustice except at home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-anderson/civilized-nations-are-ones-that-simply-can-t-endure-wrongs-or/) Joseph Anderson > [Time often serves to justify a deed which seems at first unjustifiable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-p-ryan/time-often-serves-to-justify-a-deed-which-seems-at-first-unjustifiable/) Donald P. Ryan > [This cold weather has set all the young Folks to providing Bedfellows. I have signed two or three Licences every Day \[as a Fairfax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/this-cold-weather-has-set-all-the-young-folks-to-providing-bedfellows/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [At minimum, we must recognize that there are legitimate, unanswered questions about whether the Obama Justice Department involved themselves in a political project targeting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-meadows/at-minimum-we-must-recognize-that-there-are-legitimate-unanswered/) [Mark Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-meadows/) > [We need to incorporate that age-old concept of redemption into the work that we do in the criminal justice system in California.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamala-harris/we-need-to-incorporate-that-age-old-concept-of-redemption-into-the/) [Kamala Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamala-harris/) > [There is no freedom without justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-wiesenthal/there-is-no-freedom-without-justice/) [Simon Wiesenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-wiesenthal/) > [“The absence of judgment becomes a catalyst and an enabler for greater injustice. Contrary to popular thought, judgment is a GOOD thing when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-chace-gordon/the-absence-of-judgment-becomes-a-catalyst-and-an-enabler-for-greater/) [J. Chace Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-chace-gordon/) > [The function of the law is not to provide justice or to preserve freedom. The function of the law is to keep those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-spence/the-function-of-the-law-is-not-to-provide-justice-or-to-preserve/) [Gerry Spence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-spence/) [Browse all 13,527 Justice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Justice? What is justice? It's a mere word. It's an abstract word with no universal meaning. 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