"That's Not Fair!"We have all heard those words before in arguments. What does that actually mean? Why do we appeal to some standard of justice that is beyond ourselves. By making this appeal, are we acknowledging that somewhere there is a Law that all people are supposed to follow; something like "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you?"
But where does this idea (that there is a Law that is above us) come from? And why do we yearn for it when we feel that there has been unjustness? Some people believe that "right" and "wrong" are personal decisions. They believe that we should not impose our ideas of right and wrong onto others. It seems to me that this is another way to say, that's not fair.
If I really believed that I should not impose my standard of fairness onto others then I should not condemn Adolf Hitler! Wasn't he doing what he thought was "right?" But some will say, "He was hurting others. So it is "right" for you to condemn him." That is true. But it is still a imposition of my values onto his actions. I appeal to a Law greater that Hitler and myself to judge him.
My point is this...That all of us appeal to a Law that is outside ourselves and impose that Law on others. We expect others to follow it. But the next question is "Do I, myself, follow that Law?"
