orsi [cowell-lehoczky]

Justice

 

Or Lady Justitia: its allegorical personification. Equipped with a sword (representing authority and swift action, of course); scales (that actually date back to Ancient Egypt and the goddess Maat and Isis); and a blindfold (a 16th Century addition). She also wears the philosophers’ toga...

 

An interesting fact is that the classical Greek philosopher, Plato’s work ‘The Republic’ was one of the first known texts discussing the principle called justice. In the same work, he also mentions Tyrants and Oligarchs.

Socrates, the hero, states (among others) in order, the four imperfect societies: He starts with ‘timocracy’, where the ruling class is made up primarily of those with a warrior-like character. ‘Oligarchy’ next, is made up of a society in which wealth is the criterion of merit and the wealthy are in control. In ‘democracy’, the state bears resemblance to ancient Athens with traits such as equality of political opportunity and freedom for the individual to do as he likes. Democracy then degenerates into ‘tyranny’ from the conflict of rich and poor. It is characterized by an undisciplined society existing in chaos, where the tyrant rises as a popular champion leading to the formation of his private army and the growth of oppression. He asks which is better—a bad democracy or a country reigned by a tyrant. And, argues that it is better to be ruled by a bad tyrant, than by a bad democracy. Hmm.

 

I’d find this fascinating, if we weren’t living it.