I agree with the ide that “just laws” will
not make the "citizen good and just.”
Firstly, most laws are made to regulate people’s undesirable behavior
such as crimes and fraud. Lawmakers aim at not creating good people, but
reducing bad people. Therefore, obeying
a law does not necessarily mean people are “good and just.”
Secondly, laws can force people to do
something, but cannot encourage or persuade people to do something. For
example, Japan introduced an environmental tax this month. Because the law
requires to do so, everybody started to pay the tax. Obviously, the law cannot
make people voluntarily donate money to environmental organizations. Although
paying environmental tax and donating money are both desirable behaviors, there
is a significant difference between the two. The former does not make citizens
good or just because they are forced to do so. The latter can make them good and
just because they think by themselves and voluntarily take action. When the
nuclear disaster happened in Japan last year, many Japanese donated their money
to environmental organizations to solve the problem and help the victims. I
think good and just citizens are such people, who can act in good faith without
any enforcement.
In conclusion, “just law” cannot make the
citizen good and just because laws are not aiming at creating good people and
cannot persuade people to do something good. People who have their voluntary
good will can become good and just citizens.
It is true that people who obeying a law does not mean he or she is "good and just".
返信削除Actually do you know the former IMF president Strauss's rape case? I have heard today that France dropped the charge of him. So technically Strauss is no longer a rape criminal. However according to NYPD's investigation they did find his DNA evidence. In this circumstance, can Strauss called a "good and just" person? Absolutely no.
From what happened after the Tsunami, I personally think that Japanese people are voluntarily good and just. When people lose their house, have no place to live and hungry, people still wait in line courteously. They are taught by their ancestors to be that way to their country and to behave courteously. I once visited a rural city in Japan (which I don't remember the name) I was about 10 steps away from crossing the street, a car arrived at the crosswalk before I got there, although their light was green but that car waited for me to walk to the crosswalk and cross to the other side before he/she moves. This is not written in the law but I think this is what is a good definition of good and just citizen.
返信削除I think the examples you provide exactly reflect the two sides of the just law and just citizens. Sometimes many particular laws are good for the country and the people, however they are resisted by people because they are mandatory. Nevertheless, when there is an option whether to do so, people feel obligatory to do it.
返信削除Hana, I agree with Shengchao in that you have really illustrated the nuances of this discussion very well with such fitting examples about Japan's environmental tax. It is indeed difficult for the government to create laws that encourage people to become good and just citizens. Rather, it is comparatively easier for governments to discourage bad and unjust behavior. Even if laws are created to encourage good and just behavior, these laws will most probably seem too restrictive to some people, who will feel that such government regulations are limiting their independence and their individual rights -- another case of partial or limited justice. So, the government can only tell us what we should do and what we cannot do, not what we must do.
返信削除Furthermore, even if a government somehow creates laws that encourage good and just behavior, and citizens do not find such laws restrictive, it is still difficult to say whether or not such laws would engender good and just citizens themselves. This is because the citizens may be engaging in good and just behavior simply because the law informs them that they must do so, not because they themselves are doing it from their own free thinking and volition. Even though the law can have a desired or intended effect, in reality, the effect may be something completely different due to sociopolitical dynamics that were either unforeseen or unaccounted for.
Great examples and great post! I really liked all of your points.
- Mitali