Cline (2018) writing on Learn Religions discusses a perennial question that many philosophers and all religions have had to grapple with: the tension between justice and mercy. Relevant to the discussion, Cline describes Aristotle’s and Plato’s belief that the golden mean of justice is fairness, where people get what they deserve, no more and no less. Cline states the following:
Many philosophers and legal theorists have noted that the more one pardons crimes, the more one also emboldens criminals, because you are essentially telling them that their chances of getting away without paying the proper price have increased. That, in turn, is one of the things which drives revolutions: the perception that the system is unfair. (para. 8)
Republicans often argue the U.S. has become too lenient on crime. BLM and the restorative justice movement argue the U.S. has become too tough on crime. Is it possible that both are true at the same time? The following quadrants describe where politically we assign too much personal responsibility (justice) at the same time as offering too much compassion (mercy). Within the quadrants are the claims others outside that quadrant would make about that quadrant.
The quadrants are subdivided by the Pew political types. Analysis of a Pew Research Center survey of the U.S. general public, in 2021, showed clusters of political beliefs and values. While it’s not necessary to be familiar with the details of this research to understand the assertions, the origin of these Pew labels and type descriptors are detailed in an earlier post.
This all sounds quite critical, maybe even scolding. The intent is to recognize that each perspective naturally has its blind spot. It is easy to recognize the blind spot in other perspectives, but harder to recognize our own. The intent here is to say each perspective is possibly, probably, no better and no worse than others. If you can also recognize (admit to) your own blind spots, then you help heal the divide.
Here are related post: Losing Battles That Never End and Culture Wars Compared to Family Member Gripes.
Repeat of Quadrants Content
This section repeats the writing in the quadrants, for any who have difficulty reading in that format. Groups are presented in order of political party size.
Auth-Left Quadrant
Pew type: Democratic mainstays (moderate Democrats and centrists)
Too much budget for public welfare, painting anyone disadvantaged and “underserved” as incapable of subsisting without government largesse
Pew type: Establishment liberals
Too much mercy for suffering people in other nations, extending endless humanitarian aid to the third world while plenty of needs are unmet in the U.S.
Immigrant influx leads to depressed wages for the existing precariat
Auth-Right Quadrant
Pew type: Committed conservatives (corporate globalist hawks)
Too much budget for military, trying to promote (enforce?) justice worldwide
Too many prisons full of three-strikes drug-related non-violent offenders
Pew type: Faith and flag conservatives
To mandate priority for life of a foetus over the potential loss of life of a pregnant woman or consigning her to poverty of single parenthood is unfair if you’re also unwilling to offer $ support
Lib-Right Quadrant
Pew type: Populist right
Storming the capitol building after a fair election is not justice, which you would recognize if you got news from unbiased republican authorities not social media
Pew type: Ambivalent right
Taking advantage of new unregulated technologies to make outsized profit is not fair in principle, even if done legally
It’s unfair that irresponsible financiers and corporate criminals often get little to no punishment while the precariat are crushed by fines and criminal records
Lib-left (Green) Quadrant
Pew type: Progressive left
Too much vigilante justice in the form of cancel culture for those who stray from the progressive value set
Too much mercy for the racial minority (except Jews & Asians) as if they could do nothing to prevent their plight and discrimination is always the whole story
Pew type: Outsider left
Demand for climate justice via austerity while blocking bridges is not fair to the people trying to get to hospital & home (thanks XR for ending that strategy)
References
Cline, A. (2018) Mercy vs. justice: A clash of virtues. Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/argument-from-justice-for-existence-of-god-248257