Name : Dian Ratri Cahyani

ID : 1606896981

Class : MPKTA 01 – S202

Virtue of Justice: A Crucial Character in Student

Former US President, Abraham Lincoln, once said that character is like a tree and reputation
is its shadow, the shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing. Character primarily
refers to the assemblage of qualities that distinguish one individual from another which can be
conceptualized as an individual’s disposition to think, feel, and behave in an ethical versus
unethical manner. Moreover, character marks who we are as a person, and it also highly
influences the choices that we make in our lives.

It is believed that there are 6 character of strengths and virtues that have been developed by
humans, which are: 1) Wisdom and knowledge, 2) Strength of courage, 3) Humanity, 4) Justice,
5) Temperance, and 6) Perseverance. One of the strengths and virtues is Justice. Justice is the
strength that underlie healthy and harmonious community life. Strengths that accompany this
virtue include those that build a healthy and stable community are:

- Citizenship, or in other words, being an active citizen, socially responsible, loyal and a
team member.
- Fairness, treating all people the same according to notions of fairness and justice, as
well as not letting personal feelings bias decisions about others.
- Leadership, is creating an inspiring vision of the future, motivating and inspiring people
to engage with that vision, as well as managing the delivery of the vision.

Virtue of justice differs from the other moral virtues, for wisdom and knowledge is a virtue of
the intellect, and perseverance and temperance regulate the sense of appetites and passions,
while humanity also perfects the will and regulates our dealing with others. It differs from
justice in that it bids us to regard others as brothers and sisters in life.

Justice, as it is, has to do with two parties, each rendering the other his due. But several possible
combinations can exist between two parties, which gives rise to several kinds of justice. The
aim of justice is to establish equality, or just balance or proportion between the parties involved.
As a student, virtue of justice is as important as the other kinds of virtue. The purpose of having
justice in ourselves is to preserve equality of rights between individuals, for instance, between
the value of an item purchased and the price paid for it, or between the wage paid by the
employer and the work done by the employee. A special character of justice is the obligation
of making restitution when the rights of one has been violated.

When a student becomes the leader of a class or an organization at school, he or she should
have virtue of justice. The virtue embedded in them may not be as complete, but they should
develop it along the way. A leader or every person should not be offending against one’s right
to his good name by revealing one’s hidden faults, speaking ill of another behind his back,
spreading falsehoods about another or exaggerating his faults, imputing evil intentions to one’s
good deeds. All such actions are example of the things that a person with virtue of justice
should avoid. By not doing these such examples, the purpose of virtue of justice is met; to lead
a healthy and harmonious community life.

References:

Father Paul. The Rosary Light and Life Volume 51: The Virtue of Justice. 1998.

Loyola Press. Living the Virtues in Everyday Life.

Lesson 28: The Cardinal Virtue of Justie.

M Lebar. Justice as a Virtue. Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy. 2002.

ARI Campus. The Virtue of Justice.