A Philosophy of Fairness

[The Voice of Time]

What is fairness in a person? How does it enter people's character and how does it stay there? How should it be like?

EDIT:

I edited myself. Excuse me but I was translating a Norwegian word ("redelighet"), which has a variety of meanings but which dictionarily translates to "fairness". However, instead of fairness as in "righteousness" or "justice", it means more in the direction of soberness, trustworthiness and not doing bad things, in a person, as well as possible comparisons to a humane-ethical approach to what should be "normal". I hope that with saying "fairness in a person" you understand me better, it is not about the abstract metaphysical concept of "fairness", but about a "a fair character, honest, trustworthy, good-hearted, appearing well-meaning". And in questioning what fairness is, I ask about how a fair person would and should be like, and how it becomes that way, talking not about the more obvious parts of trustworthiness and the like, but more about the things the person does that make them a trustworthy person, for instance, what makes them belong to the umbrella category of fair character which includes things like honesty, trustworthiness, good-heartedness, being well-meaning, and so forth.

EDIT 2:

Maybe I should include another question: what makes a person's character beautiful, what should make a person's character beautiful and how does a person acquire a beautiful character?

[bobevenson]

It's not a question of what's fair, it's a question of what's proper, and I'm talking about government.

[The Voice of Time]

It's not a question of what's fair, it's a question of what's proper, and I'm talking about government.

And I'm talking about people xD So obviously we're not talking about the same thing... or? Do you have an idea of what's proper about a person?

I could've used the term proper here talking about people, except proper the terms speaks about things like tradition and norms and more the right procedure than the right result, so you have there, in my opinion, a term which lacks freedom and re-interpretability based on changing factors.

[Impenitent]

It's not a question of what's fair, it's a question of what's proper, and I'm talking about government.

And I'm talking about people xD So obviously we're not talking about the same thing... or? Do you have an idea of what's proper about a person?

I could've used the term proper here talking about people, except proper the terms speaks about things like tradition and norms and more the right procedure than the right result, so you have there, in my opinion, a term which lacks freedom and re-interpretability based on changing factors.

so do you want fairness or freedom?

-Imp

[The Voice of Time]

Well freedom in this case describes how many situations the word fairness can cover, its ability to adapt. Think of it in terms of an opposite to "static", dynamic perhaps. It's not an either/or, freedom as a concept on its own is not part of the discussion, I merely said why I didn't use the term "proper", 'cause of its static nature. When I set conditions for when something is or should be considered fair, on the other hand, I allow for reinterpretability, whereas when I say when or what should be considered proper, I shackle and castrate creativity and the means by which the conditions could've been reinvented or adapted for new situations.

I could of course combine them both, that what is proper is what is fair, but then you'll already know my opinion of the thought-pattern inherent to proper: that it's static, incapable, shackled, not something which bodes well for society (unless, of course, society is not advanced enough to comprehend and follow sophisticated notions of freedom-within-boundaries).

[Skip]

Maybe I should include another question: what makes a person's character beautiful, what should make a person's character beautiful and how does a person acquire a beautiful character?

A loving mother. It helps to have a healthy body and sound mind; it helps very much to have good nutrition and physical comforts in the formative years. But the single decisive factor is a mother who believes you are good, beautiful and valuable. Then you will believe it and act it.

[The Voice of Time]

Maybe I should include another question: what makes a person's character beautiful, what should make a person's character beautiful and how does a person acquire a beautiful character?

A loving mother. It helps to have a healthy body and sound mind; it helps very much to have good nutrition and physical comforts in the formative years. But the single decisive factor is a mother who believes you are good, beautiful and valuable. Then you will believe it and act it.

But are there not examples to the contrary where a mother loves their sons or daughters but allows them to treat other people like crap because they put their son or daughter ahead and superior of others? Like Kings or Queens who have provided all they can for their sons and daughters and then those sons and daughters turn into tyrants of a particularly childish behaviour in rule and law?

[Skip]

If one is intent on being bad, nothing can stop him. I suppose a mean woman can love her child and teach it bad behaviour.
You asked what makes a beautiful character and i named the single most important factor that i'm aware of. If a child starts out in the world with a sense of emotional security and self-esteem, he's more likely to encounter positive responses from other people, which, in turn, will make him more optimistic and tolerant.... and so on.
There is no guarantee of turning any child into a fine adult; there is no foolproof formula, but that's the best chance.

[The Voice of Time]

Mmm. I applaud your attempt! It was the kind I was looking for.

[Skip]

Then, you can think about the extended family, the community, the environment, the culture, the education system....
Really, in an insane society, it's very difficult to be fair, decent and kind. And yet, some people manage it!

[The Voice of Time]

Then, you can think about the extended family, the community, the environment, the culture, the education system....
Really, in an insane society, it's very difficult to be fair, decent and kind. And yet, some people manage it!

Well when you live in a shitty society, it's more about the way in which you are exposed to the world than the contents of your world itself. Think of life as one long stretch of decisions as to what you are gonna focus on. A shitty society reduces the amount of ways in which you can go to become fair, I guess, but there will still be some sets of focuses that will make your mind acquire a world-view that causes you to act as a person of fairness.