Why be just ????

[Gibbon]

Both Plato (The Republic) and Cicero (The Good Life) asserted that a 'just man' got his reward in the afterlife.

If there is no afterlife why should a man be 'just'?

This is not a religious thread and you can't answer that if you're nice to people then they will be nice to you as a just man is just whether it benefits him or not.

[Let-Me-In]

Both Plato (The Republic) and Cicero (The Good Life) asserted that a 'just man' got his reward in the afterlife.

If there is no afterlife why should a man be 'just'?

This is not a religious thread and you can't answer that if you're nice to people then they will be nice to you as a just man is just whether it benefits him or not.

Way too early in the day...my head is still fuzzy from last night's over indulgence!!!!!

[Old Greg]

Both Plato (The Republic) and Cicero (The Good Life) asserted that a 'just man' got his reward in the afterlife.

If there is no afterlife why should a man be 'just'?

This is not a religious thread and you can't answer that if you're nice to people then they will be nice to you as a just man is just whether it benefits him or not.

Because if we were all unjust, society as a whole would function terribly and we would on average all be worse off.

If most of us are mostly just, then there will be a small minority of people who are unjust - cheating on the rules of justness, either by transgressing laws or other social convention.

Society has developed ways of dealing with these unjust people, from legal retribution (and related deterrence) to social disapproval / shunning. But some people will still profit from their unjustness but not so much that the overall social fabric of justness is destroyed.

[Troll]

Do unto others... etc etc

HTH

[Let-Me-In]

Do unto others... etc etc

HTH

...before they do unto you???

[Gibbon]

Do unto others... etc etc

HTH

Yes but why???

[Gibbon]

Because if we were all unjust, society as a whole would function terribly and we would on average all be worse off.

If most of us are mostly just, then there will be a small minority of people who are unjust - cheating on the rules of justness, either by transgressing laws or other social convention.

Society has developed ways of dealing with these unjust people, from legal retribution (and related deterrence) to social disapproval / shunning. But some people will still profit from their unjustness but not so much that the overall social fabric of justness is destroyed.

A man can still be unjust and stay within the legal framework. Do people really think about society as a whole when making moral decisions that affect their life?

[Old Greg]

A man can still be unjust and stay within the legal framework. Do people really think about society as a whole when making moral decisions that affect their life?

There are other social factors that deal with unjustness. If you've got a rich mate who always 'forgets' his wallet when you go to the pub and then drinks expensive drinks at your expense all night every night, he has breached an unwritten social contract that governs our interactions with each other. You'll probably find a better friend pretty soon.

[Churchill]

Yes but why???

For the good of mankind in general.

[Rantor]

There are other social factors that deal with unjustness. If you've got a rich mate who always 'forgets' his wallet when you go to the pub and then drinks expensive drinks at your expense all night every night, he has breached an unwritten social contract that governs our interactions with each other. You'll probably find a better friend pretty soon.

I would imagine that the definition of 'being just' is fairly subjective (other than round-dodging of course!)