What is Justice? Is law governmental or is it a verbalization of natural law? Why do we have so many laws? Does it seem that our solution to every conflict has become to make a new law? Does justice exist in society today? With so many exceptions to the law, does law itself still mean something? Does justice need enforcement? Does justice have the same purpose as law? Is justice in an unknown realm? Is justice subjective to each individual? If so, can law be based on justice?
 
 
Highlights from the last meeting. . .
 

 We would pretty much all agree that law and justice are not the same thing, but at what point do they separate? A law is something that relates to an entire body of people--an entire society--whether they want it to relate to them or not. Is justice enforced by the individual rather than by an external authority, or is it enforced by laws and courts?

    Why do we have so many more laws now than we had one hundred years ago? Laws are not made to be broken, but they are made to be amended. Laws always have loopholes. A new law is made to compensate for the discrepancy in the old one. This process is continuous because there will never be a law that can cater to every individual situation. What we need is to be able to use common sense. An internal character with a moral sense and the ability of the individual to take responsibility for himself. But we are taught or conditioned to turn to external sources for solutions to problems which arise when dealing with other people. Laws are designed to govern social relations and to preserve the social order. A law Is not universal until it Is enforced.

    Is Justice subjective to the individual, is it a social perception, or is does it have a universal basis? Aristotle said that it was based on social norms. There does not seem to be one single view of justice that all people agree upon. Does this mean that justice is different for everyone? Or is it because we are only looking at a single view of justice, which serves as simply one part of the whole and trying to universalize it?

    When a law is made, does that alter the sense of justice in a society? Do the laws begin to take the place of the individual's conscience? Does this mean that fewer laws would require more responsibility of the individual? The court used to be a secondary solution to problems; now it seems that the court, which acts as a third party mediator in disputes, is the first resource. It seems that 'suing" has become our primary resource for solving problems. Did you know that there is malpractice insurance available for teachers?

    If any values are becoming universal they are in the scientific realm, not the realm of morals, justice, or law. Do these realms have no connection with each other?
 

Special announcements
 

Philosophy Courses to be offered in the Winter:
Phi 251: Ethics and Contemporary Moral
issues. (Satisfies the area I core requirement)
Phi 400: Technology and Human Values

 A representative of the Philosophical Debate won the second place prize, S50.00, for our group in the AASU Halloween costume contest!
**Special thanks to Micheal Torrance for designing the costume-a giant Philosopher's Stone!!

 The Thought Box is located in the Writing Center in Gamble Hall. Use this box to submit your ideas for future topics, your name and address for our mailing list, or submissions for The Philosopher's Stone. Submissions may be comments on the current topic or reactions to the current newsletter. Please limit submissions to 250 words.

Next Meeting
Wednesday, Nov. 20
8:30 pm
in the Faculty Dining Room in MCC.
Free soda and chips for participants!!

 Our topic will be: What defines self-identity and the self for us? Heritage? Race? Sex? Grades? Political Rights? Health? Wealth? Are we free as selves, or are we determined by some other circumstance over which we have no control?