The Burden of Justice: Vices of an Unjust Man (Formal Essay)

Kailey Franklin                                                                            

Dr. Andrew Jacobs

GB 1301 Great Books (Honors)

8 October 2023

The Burden of Justice: Vices of an Unjust Man

The question of what justice is and what exactly it entails has long been debated by ancient historians, and more recently, university students in the class Great Books 1301. Over the course of a few weeks, students were able to come to a better understanding of justice by reading not only ancient philosophy but also by reading Greek plays. The Republic helps emphasize that justice can be considered a burden while Bacchae helps emphasize the horrible consequences that a man must face for his unjust actions. According to Republic by Plato and Bacchae by Euripides, justice is considered a burden because, to be a just person, a man must refrain from meddling in the virtues within justice, take responsibility for his actions if he does meddle, and endure the resulting consequences, for if a man does not behave justly, then he is doomed to fail.

Justice is a burden because it is difficult to not only refrain from meddling in other people’s work but also to avoid interrupting the virtues that make up justice. As Socrates and other wise men seek to find justice in their ideal city, they better understand the true concept of justice. Eventually, Socrates comes to the conclusion that justice can be somewhat defined as “doing one’s own work and not meddling with what is not one’s own” (433b). A just person refrains from meddling in matters that should not be meddled with to avoid escalating certain situations. For instance, if two people were to start an argument such as the best way to cut an apple, a just man retracts from the trivial argument before the situation intensifies and minds his own business. A just person leaves the three virtues which are wisdom, courage, and temperance of justice (427e) alone in harmony, while an unjust person tries to interrupt the balance. Socrates and Glaucon try to create an image of the perfect city, using the city to discuss the virtues of the soul: “So, meddling and exchange among these three classes is the greatest harm that can have happened to the city and would rightly be called the worst evil one could do to it” (434c). By meddling in these virtues of justice, the harmony between them is interrupted, causing unnecessary harm that leads to injustice. However, a person can find it burdensome to keep from following the natural inclination to meddle within the three virtues of justice. 

Responsibility is a burden; therefore, the responsibility of justice is a burden. Justice and responsibility are directly related; a person must be responsible if he is to be considered just. Most people would not choose this responsibility of their own accord: “This, some would say is strong evidence that no one is just willingly, but only when compelled” (360c). Every person must make the arduous decision to either act irresponsibly or responsibly. Most people would always choose the unjust or irresponsible route, for as responsibility is associated with justice, irresponsibility is associated with injustice. According to Plato, even a person who appears to be just still chooses the unjust route if he does not have to endure horrible consequences for his choices: “No one believes justice to be a good thing when it is kept private, since whenever either person thinks he can do injustice with impunity, he does it” (360c). A truly just man is righteous and does not think about either the good or bad consequences of what he does. Rather, he makes responsible choices and chooses what is best for everyone involved. There is seemingly little to no benefit for a truly just man, as he must make responsible decisions despite receiving no awards. A truly just man accepts this responsibility and carries the burden of justice to avoid certain failure.

Justice is a burden because of the consequences each man must endure for the decisions he makes in his life. Although a just person may make all the right decisions, he still may end up in a worse state than an unjust person. Unjust people tend to cheat their lives away, deceiving Greek gods and humans alike: “That is why they say, Socrates, that gods and humans provide a better life for the unjust person than for the just one” (362c). Some people only put on appearances of justice to reap the good consequences of behaving justly. An unjust man might act justly only for the sake of a good reputation, “[f]or a reputation of justice would bring him honor and rewards, so that it would not be clear whether he is being just for the sake of justice, or for the sake of those honors and rewards” (361c). A truly just person is not only just because of the consequences he might face, but because he is doing what is truly right. For example, Jesus’s death was a consequence of acting justly. God sent His son to die for every person’s sin for the atonement of humanity’s crimes. A person chooses to act justly despite the consequences because justice serves a greater purpose than simply benefiting the person. Therefore, a truly just man still faces the burden of making choices and reaping those consequences, whether those consequences are good or bad.

Justice is not only a burden to the just man, but also to the man who is unlawful and without morals. A person cannot be just while also being immoral and unlawful. In Bacchae by Euripides, Pentheus is an unlawful and immoral man; thereby, making him an unjust man:

What a life, to live for beauty/ by day and through the night/ in piety and reverence, rejecting/ law without morality. Honor the gods. (1006-1009)

Throughout Bacchae, Pentheus' unjust actions are revealed as he continually offends Zeus’s son- the new god Bacchus. Bacchus decides to carry out a long-term “prank” seeking his revenge against Pentheus and the injustice focused towards him as a new god. Pentheus, as all unjust men must, soon faces the consequences of injustice: “Let Justice walk in brightness with a sword/ to stab right through the throat/ of the man who has no god, no law, no righteousness” (1010-1012). Because of his unjust actions, Pentheus meets a horrible fate and is torn limb from limb by his own mother. A person can learn from Pentheus’s example that if a man does not behave justly, he is doomed to suffer the penalty of his unjust decisions. Injustice always ends in horrible consequences while justice has the opportunity to grant noble outcomes.

The Republic by Plato and Bacchae by Euripides both highlight the burden of justice, and the consequences of a person’s actions, whether those actions are just or unjust. While reading the Republic, a person can find that a just person does not meddle in the virtues of justice, behave irresponsibly, or only expect good consequences for his good behavior. In Bacchae, a person can find that even though behaving in a just manner is burdensome and takes a toll on a person, it is better for the world to be filled with just people instead of lawlessness and injustice. The consequences of such a world would be a sad and fallen state with only the pleasures of wicked people. 

Works Cited     

Euripides. Bacchae, translated by Emily Wilson. The Greek Plays: Sixteen Plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, edited by Mary Lefkowitz and James Room, Modern Library, 2017.

Plato. Republic. Translated by C.D.C Reeve, Hacket Publishing, 2004.