Peace, Freedom, or Justice?

[RockFan89]

I've thought about this question before, and with the recent unrest in the Middle East, I thought about it some more. Which is most important: Peace, Freedom, or Justice?

Let me just give a more clear definition of what I'm talking about.

When I say Peace, I refer to violence and instability being avoided at all costs. Choosing this option would mean you think we must keep order and avoid hurting others above all else, even at the expense of freedom or justice.

Freedom refers to personal liberty and individual rights. The idea that I have a right to something or to some action and it doesn't matter if it comes at the cost of fairness to others.

Justice basically means equality. Everyone should be treated equally and if anyone is treated poorly, we need to compensate that individual accordingly to make everything fair. Now I'm not talking about the government treating everyone fairly, because if it didn't that would be a suppression of freedom, but more of situations where the two are at odds with each other.

We see the conflict all the time. Abraham Lincoln chose freedom and justice over peace during the civil war. Government aid to the poor often favors justice for them over the right of citizens to their wages (since the government takes a workers money to give this aid). Aid to foreign governments often favors peace over rights/justice (see Egypt over the past 30 years). The bailout of the financial institutions favored peace over justice and freedom (freedom to fail). A lot of things done in war are done so to bring about peace faster, even at the expense at fairness/freedom (i.e. dropping the atomic bomb killing Japanese civilians)

When the United States was first formed, the government put a heavy emphasis on freedom, but over the past century or so it has concentrated on justice.

Now obviously all three are interconnected on some level, but if you had to choose just one, which would it be? Which is the most important to you?

 

[Xemmy]

Excellent thread, and great historical background.

I'm going to have to choose Freedom. And I'm not looking for quanity, I'm looking for quality. It's not so much as HOW MANY freedoms we have, as WHICH freedoms we have.
I couldn't care less about whether I'm allowed to choose which insurance company I can by from. I wish that freedom was stripped from me. But I would like to keep my precious Bill of Rights- which seems to be strangled right now. Tighter and Tighter. Whether it be your right to guns, your right to say whatever the fuck you want, freedom of of religion, or your right from unwarranted search.

Those things should be untouchable- and yet they are limited even more in this ear, behind a mask of Justice. I don't give a damn about justice. It's just a biblical need for revenge, and the more you focus on it, the less there seems to be. Justice has a way of carrying itself out. People find their way to it. So with peace. Normal people can get together and say, "Let's not kill each other, or take each other's stuff. Oh, and let's punish the people who do." Justice and Peace are universal concepts. Freedom on the other hand is not. People try and bargain it away in the hopes of getting more of the other two, only to realize it just leads to corruption.

 

[Ultra Awesome]

I'm going to go with Justice on this one. But not just justice, I'm talking about ABSOLUTE justice.

See, the problem with peace is that factors such as violence and instability are always going to get in the way from their ever being true peace. Sure, we may claim – or act as if we're this big, jolly-good, hippy-like peaceful nation, but what about all the other countries? What’'s to happen when we face a danger? Are we just going to give in to their demands in order to keep things peaceful? – No, one must understand that true peace can never be achieved so long as humanity infests the Earth.

As for Freedom – Ideally, this would be the one I would choose; however, the problem that I see with freedom is that it builds too many controversies – and thus, the very freedom we have will eventually get limited and limited in order to protect the well-being of others (etc). There is also that the diversity of culture is a big factor in "freedom" – and as we've seen countless times, diversity of cultures builds more controversies than it does liberty.

But with absolute justice, you have equality for all – no one is above the law and all must obey it – including the ruler (if the nation has one). If you have absolute justice and remove the diversity of culture, you not only rid yourself of possible controversies, you maintain an equal balance in the nation in which everyone can enjoy.

Of course, when thinking further, one will realize that with [absolute] justice, peace and freedom will come as a result. It may not be exactly absolute freedom or absolute peace, but enough to live an enjoyable, fulfilling life by.

 

[Serious Mozzarella]

Oh Jesus Christ, freedom.

Peace isn't necessarily inner peace.
One person's justice isn't necessarily another person's justice.
Freedom is absolutely universal.

Freedom should absolutely extend all the way until it infringes on someone else's freedom. This can't happen when people are obsessed with fairness and justice, or peace.

 

[Calderownz]

I'm going to have to go with Peace.

The reason I'm going with peace is because a lack of that option is the only option that can kill you.

Freedom, you can survive without. The same can be said for a lack of justice. Peace, however, is the best way to stick around.

Without freedom, you can manage. Your life can be decent enough. Not saying it will be less stressful than a free life, but I still think you can manage. Justice is something you can work around. You can work within the system.

A lack of peace, however, brings an immediate threat to your life. Regardless of how much justice and freedom one can attain. The problem with justice is that, generally, it can only be truly enforced after the illegal act has taken place.