Thursday Thoughts - March 22

Today’s composers compose their music in the shadow of Bach and Beethoven, Mozart and Handel and other musicians. This notion of inheriting ideas, forms of life, and structures of composition ought to be a continual reminder that we’re not the first people on the planet to make music. Similarly, to reflect on justice it is crucial to realize that we develop our views in the shadow of Locke, Hume, Kant and other thinkers who still have a tremendous impact and influence on our perspectives today. Theories of justice, therefore, are like texts under negotiation. They require a serious consideration of the points of view of our predecessors, along with a give and take connected to a desire for a better interpretation of what would be just for the sake of all concerned. No easy task, but nevertheless one that is worthwhile. Questions of human dignity, human responsibility, and human freedom implore us to work hard for and to be committed to deliberating and debating about what justice is.