What do we describe as fair? I know for a fact, that my idea of fairness would be very different from that of someone else. Being fair is a part of human judgement and that in itself can be influenced by many personal things. Experiences, moral beliefs, religion and so forth go on to play a huge role in shaping one’s judgement and therefore, the concept of fairness. Each situation can be perceived differently. The world being a dynamic entity entertains shifting perspectives and differences in human choices. Hence, it will be best to say that fairness, as an idea, stands on slippery grounds and can best be assessed as a volatile and subjective thing.
The Trolley Problem
We can take a well-known thought experiment to explore the idea of fairness. The ‘trolley problem’ is a famous ethical dilemma which helps to explore the idea of fairness. The problem entails a speeding train cart which is moving along a track at high speed. Further along the track are 5 people who are unaware of the cart and won’t be able to get out of the way in time. However, there is a lever, which if you pull, will change the course of the cart onto another rail line. However, there is one person on the track who won’t be able to get out of the way in time. What would be your decision? Would you pull the lever? Some may say ‘yes’, others ‘no’. This explores the idea of fairness in the way we value human life.
Is it fair to sacrifice one human life who would have been out of harm’s way if not for us and save the 5 other people? People would have differing opinions especially if the one person in question turns out to be a near and dear one. This clearly proves that fairness is subjective.
Morally Grim Situations
Another scenario where our idea of fairness needs to be reevaluated is during morally grey situations. Let’s take the example of the famous art forger Han van Meegeren. He was famous for creating counterfeit Veermer artworks (Veermer was one of the greatest painters of the Dutch Golden Age). He sold many forgeries, profiting big time from them. Then, World War 2 came around and a 6-star Nazi general by the name of Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, requested for a Veermer to add to his art collection. Meegeren had no choice but to comply if he didn’t want to face adverse circumstances. Using his skills he created a counterfeit which the general happily accepted and added to his art collection.
Eventually, the Nazis were defeated and Meegeren was arrested for selling a national treasure to the enemy. He was sentenced to death because of his crime. With only one choice to save himself, he confessed to a different crime, the crime of forging priceless artworks. With his confession, the initial penalty of death was lifted and he was instead sentenced to 1 year in prison.
What Meegeren considered moral before his arrest was accepted by him as immoral when he encountered a morally grey situation. Thus, we see that standards of fairness become subjective ideas when faced with moral dilemmas.
Differing Perspectives
It has also been observed that fairness from someone’s point of view may be seen as injustice from another’s point of view. Let’s take a real world example this time. In India there is a concept known as ‘reservation’ which has been legally backed up by the government. The aim of this is to help people from “under-privileged” backgrounds to gain ground and get entrances to jobs, universities and so forth. It is done with the aim to build a better life for the underprivileged until they raise themselves to the level of a normal person.
Now, let’s take two people- one person is from a middle income family who lives in the city and has high qualifications, and the other is a person who comes from an impoverished town and has medium qualifications. Who would you pick to get the job? Naturally you’d want someone who has higher qualifications to run the job. But if you belong to the ‘reserved’ category, you might consider it fair to be fighting for that position which the other party may justify to be highly unfair. Fighting tooth and bone to get a job you deserve- doesn’t that seem a little unfair to you? Although it might, fairness changes according to the scale it is perceived on. Likewise, what may be deemed fair on an institutional level may become unfair on a personal level. This further proves the subjectiveness of fairness.
In all these examples and in many more, we will find that fairness is a very messy subject to discern. That is why there is a lot of debate when it comes to making rules which are deemed fair. Our individual ideas of fairness play a huge role as we shape the world through our actions and thoughts. Being a fair and just person may seem easy. Still, when emotions, feelings and personal preferences get thrown into a mix, the concept of fairness becomes murky and sometimes distorted from what we originally thought. Thus, it is absolutely right to say that fairness is a highly subjective idea and, in the end, it is up to you to decide what is fair and what is not.
Writer : Ethan
Grade : 11 (Year 2024)
Place : Sydney, Australia
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