The perspective that "justice" is not a Platonic ideal waiting in a celestial courtroom, but an outcome continuously built through human systems. The law, the jury, the concept of "fairness," the very definition of a crime and its appropriate punishment—all are social constructions that vary wildly across time and place. Justice is what a society, through its institutions and power struggles, assembles and calls legitimate in a given moment.
*Example: "A thief is caught. In one city, justice is constructed as restorative: a circle where thief and victim meet to repair harm. In another, it's constructed as retributive: 5-10 years in a concrete box. The Theory of Constructed Justice shows that the 'just outcome' isn't found; it's built from the available cultural tools, political will, and philosophical assumptions of the builders. The scales of justice aren't found in nature; we forge them ourselves."*
by Abzu Land January 31, 2026
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