Nicholas J. Theocarakis wrote:
>>So, the forms of cooperation are two - voluntary and involuntary.
>
>Let me offer an older argument
>
>This Corrective Justice again has two
>sub-divisions, corresponding to the two classes
>of private transactions, those which are
>voluntary and those which are involuntary.
>Examples of voluntary transactions are selling,
>buying, lending at interest, pledging, lending
>without interest, depositing, letting for hire;
>these transactions being termed voluntary
>because they are voluntarily entered upon. Of
>involuntary transactions some are furtive, for
>instance, theft, adultery, poisoning, procuring,
>enticement of slaves, assassination, false
>witness; others are violent, for instance,
>assault, imprisonment, murder, robbery with
>violence, maiming, abusive language, contumelious treatment.
>
>Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book V (On Justice), 1131a 1 et seq.
The introduction of Aristotelian categories of
justice are always welcome, but shouldn't
corrective justice be coupled with its other
half, distributive justice? Distributive justice
for Aristotle has an irreducibly cultural aspect,
because the distributions are based on merit, but
merit is perceived differently in different
societies, "for democrats identify it with the
status of freeman, supporters of oligarchy with
wealth (or with noble birth), and supporters of
aristocracy with excellence." (Ethics, 1131a, 25)
John C. Medaille
|