Liberal Arts Discussion Series
A discussion led by Stephen C. Walker, PhD -
Laws without Justice
A collaboration with the
The University of Chicago Graham School
hosting presentations and discussions of original research
We typically see laws as answerable to a moral abstraction called “justice”—and, because it’s so abstract, “justice” is one of the most notoriously elusive and contested topics in the history of thought. The problems with this concept are easier to see with the help of philosophers who worked outside the Greco-Roman heritage that our conversations tend to take for granted. From a classical Chinese perspective, laws aren’t answerable to an abstract moral standard in the first place, so trying to formulate one is not productive. Instead, laws are answerable to people’s desires, and specifically to their desire for good leadership.
Ancient Chinese theorists understand “law” primarily as a system for distributing advantages and disadvantages throughout society. A well-functioning legal system makes life more predictable and satisfying through systematically encouraging pro-social behavior. On this view, people find a law or legal system dissatisfying because they blame it for making their lives more painful or chaotic—not because of any insight into “rights” or other abstract principles. This means that the project of improving laws is a project of maximizing collective comfort.
When laws are working comfortably, they deflect both positive and negative attention from the human beings currently in charge—because they don’t appear to be expressions of anybody’s personal desires. When laws do strike people as expressing the personal desires of certain individuals and groups, they lose their social functionality and could stand to be improved. What happens when we reframe our concerns about “justice” and “injustice” in these terms?
Stephen C. Walker holds a PhD in Philosophy of Religions from the University of Chicago Divinity School; he teaches at the University of Chicago and DePaul University. His research focuses on classical Chinese philosophy, and especially on Daoism. Interests that inform his writing and teaching include the personal and social contexts for philosophical work, the ambiguity and malleability of concepts, and the role that humanistic studies can play in cultivating appreciation for diverse points of view.
This is a free event but Reservations are Required. Walk-ins are welcome if space permits.
The Kibbitznest Liberal Arts Discussion Series is a collaboration primarily with the University of Chicago Graham School where we invite faculty and instructors to present and discuss their original research. We have also invited faculty of the Shiner Great Books School and other notable institutions.
Admission is always free, although we encourage support of the venue that so graciously donates the use of their space, kibbitznest books, brews & blarney and their great staff, with the purchase of food or beverages. We also hope you will bring a gently used book or two to donate!
Speakers are paid from the revenue we receive from the sale of donated books and a portion of the food & drink revenue. Please donate books in the liberal arts genre to help support the Discussion Series.
