“More souls are crammed onto this planet than ever, and there is the real prospect of commensurably great peril. At the same time there is the prospect of building the infrastructure for a planetary first: enduring global concord…which is to say: winning will depend on not wanting other peoples to lose.” ~ Robert Wright
From a distance, we can see that there has been a progressive evolution of justice throughout the history of civilization. Before any codification of laws, in relatively homogenous communities, oral tradition sufficed. As communities grew, expanded, and interacted, greater measures were needed to separate right from wrong. With each passing millennium, there has been a greater certainty about what to do with acts of injustice. The arrow of time has carried with it the means to build ever more equitable social contracts; we now have a need for a global justice system.
With the greatest advancements of material civilization having come at the expense of spiritual qualities and attributes, it is clear that only a balanced approach benefits both the material and the spiritual aspects of civilization. These twin aspects, like wings of a bird, are both essential for ensuring true progress.
The key to balanced progress is moderation. When civilization is balanced, and progresses on all fronts moderately, society flourishes, and becomes a source of goodness and opportunity for all. True justice is only achievable when the evolution of society is balanced, drawing equally from material and spiritual resources.
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