Thoughts on Justice

Initial Thoughts on the Idea of Justice 

What do we mean when we talk about justice? We believe in it as a guiding principle. It is central to our ethical system as a society. The assurance of justice and the absolute right to seek it; these are sacred cows. But it's actually hard to say what justice is.

Justice... is it a thing? A state of being? A process? An action?

Action(s): "We will ensure that justice is served."
Process: "May justice be done."
Attribute: "A warrior for justice"
Condition: "Justice for all"

I think of justice as getting what you deserve (just deserts). That's pretty simplistic and sounds mostly punitive- but I do mean it in the positive sense of the word too. I'm also realizing how individualistic that sounds. However, "community justice" sounds scary to me and evokes images of lynchings and vigilante style retribution. But justice doesn't occur in a vacuum.