Assistant Professor
Department of Justice Studies
It is dangerous, as Foucault points out, to suggest a "true" form or definition of justice. In other words, justice is a fluid concept. Genocides are often conducted in the name of "justice," among other things. In democratic societies, perhaps, justice is to be determined through the deliberation of the people—the stakeholders, not only shareholders—and the praxis of (re) building society is to be based on that fluid concept of "justice."
Associate Professor
Communication Studies
Justice balances conflicting forces, distributing goods and meting penalties without favor or prejudice. A human construct, justice may be contrasted with nature and tyranny, both of which deploy pleasure and pain inequitably. Justice demands the dispassionate negotiation of rights and responsibilities, affirming yet also limiting the realm of the self.
Assistant Professor
Department of Justice Studies
For me, justice is committing oneself daily to the practices which ensure that each student at SJSU graduates.
Associate Professor
Department of Justice Studies
In my view, "justice" means social justice, which in turn involves ideals of freedom, fairness, equality, respect for the dignity and autonomy of every individual, and a fair and impartial distribution of resources. Put another way, justice entails robust respect for human rights. Social and economic justice would involve an end to oppression, privation, hunger, vast extremes of wealth and poverty, and similar avoidable causes of human misery. Finally, without social and economic justice, "criminal justice" is an empty concept.
When was the last time you sat around and discussed "the big ideas" with colleagues and friends? A university campus is one of the best places to wonder out loud about questions that don't come up on a day-to-day basis, but that speak to the heart of our existence. We welcome your responses to the question above. Responses will be posted on our Web site. Send us your response to "What is justice?"
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