正义：法律面前，人人平等 Justice: Equality Before the Law

法律面前，人人平等，当然是启蒙时代的伟大价值。它的原理是，在相同法律之下，每个人都要遵守，没有个人及团体拥有特别权利。

虽然平等的概念含糊及理论性强，它有用于提醒人们他们的共同人性，虽然人有不同。而平等就代表正义。

西方正义的概念来自罗马希腊与基督教义的哲学传统。在罗马希腊传统中就有古老传言，‘诚实过活，不愧于人，一视同仁。’在古代希腊，他们相信正义来自社会秩序，好社会促进正义，正义促进好社会。

在政治与正义的思想上，亚里士多德与洛克是两个影响西方社会最大的学者。

根据亚里士多德(公元前384-322)，正义是自愿的。每当一个人的行为是自发自愿时，他的所做可以是公正的，也可以是不公正的。他解释说，在合法的与公正的法律下，一个人享受他所拥有的一切，那才是正义之道；而不是合法地盗用或重新分配某些人的财产于另一些人。自然与普世正义应高于或成为法律的依据。这种的正义优越于国家为政府特定的及限于需求而指定的正义。在亚里士多德的传统中，正义因人而异，对公平应公平，对不公可不公。

对洛克 (1632-1704)而言，通过自然权力，自然正义为公民正义设下了极限与方向。个人权力固然不可剥夺，可是它们却是为自然规律所限制。依洛克之见，没有个人財产，正义是不能想象的。没有个人财产，就没有正义。个人拥有是一种权利，洛克正义的要点是以自然规律为基础来保证这种权利。

作为界定美国人正义概念的美国宪法，它受到洛克的影响很大。这个宪法中一些主要的假设包括：1。每一个人都有自由与追求自己快乐的自然权力；2。政府是公民间的契约合同；3。法律依赖于公民的赞同；4。获得公民支持的政府最有可能实现正义；5。代议制政府是正义的必要的条件；6。个人必得到保护以防止政府潜在权力。

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Equality before the law was, of course, the great value of the Enlightenment. It is the principle under which each individual is subject to the same laws, with no individual or group having special legal privileges.

Although the concept of equality is vague and theoretical, it serves to remind people of their common humanity, despite various differences. And equality represents justice.

Western concepts of justice are derived from Greco-Roman philosophical traditions and the teachings of Christ. From Greco-Roman traditions comes the ancient maxim, ‘to live honestly, to hurt no one, to give everyone his due.’ In ancient Greece, justice was believed to be derived from the order of society - a good society fostered justice, and justice fostered a good society.

Two scholars have the most influence on the western societies in the thinking of politics and justice: Aristotle and John Locke.

According to Aristotle (384-322 BC), justice is voluntary - a man acts justly or unjustly whenever he performs his acts voluntarily. He explains that justice is the virtue through which each person enjoys his own possessions in accordance with rightful and just laws - not those that legalize theft and redistribute property from some individuals to others. Natural and universal justice should precede and form the basis for law. Such justice is superior to state-dictated justice that is special and limited to the needs of the government. Justice, in the tradition of Aristotle, means treating individuals in accordance with their deserts, treating equals equally, and treating unequals unequally.

For John Locke (1632-1704), natural justice sets the limits and provides the direction for civic justice via the concept of natural rights. Whereas individual rights are inalienable, they are nevertheless based upon, and limited by, the law of nature. According to Locke, justice is inconceivable without personal property - where there is no property, there is no justice. The essence of Lockean justice is the security of each person’s personal possessions as a right based on the law of nature.

The U.S. Constitution, a fundamental document defining the American concept of justice, is strongly influenced by John Locke. Some of the constitution’s major assumptions are: (1) An individual has a natural right to liberty and his own free pursuit of happiness; (2) Government is a contract among the governed; (3) Laws must depend on the consent of the governed; (4) Justice is most likely to be achieved when government is through the consent of the governed; (5) Representative government is necessary for justice; and (6) The individual must be protected against the potential power of government.