The Survival of Goddess Themis in the Context of the Contemporary
WorldMotto:
“Themis persists: In the balance of the law lies the future of humanity”
One of the most respected and upholders of academic excellence both as a notary, university professor, president of the academy, president of the legal committee, and many other activities or positions held both as a politician and as a PERSON.
Prof.Univ. Dr. LIviu Bogdan Ciuca speaks with affinity and diplomacy about what practitioners respond more with passion than with understanding.
An active and dedicated man to high academic and professional standards, President Ciuca is a sensitive and extremely cultured interlocutor, reserved and diplomatic when it comes to the perfection of justice and its existence.
It is a pleasure and an honor to engage in discussions and debates with such a person. Justice News247 will bring to your attention a profound and thought-provoking theme. The goddess Themis.
” I have previously written about the Goddess Themis and her contemporary issues in the pages of the Palace of Justice.
This time, taking into account the deeply troubled social context, we aim to analyze the relationship between the Goddess Themis and social peace.We have been inspired to approach this perspective by some ancient texts such as Hesiod’s “Theogony.” In these texts, the Goddess of Justice, considered the protector of divine laws and natural order, is described as a deity who provides wise counsel to both gods and mortals, thus generating cosmic balance and peace among people.
In Greek philosophy, ‘dikaiosyne’ (Justice) is perceived as a social foundation, as a force that goes beyond a corrective and coercive role, ensuring fairness and order in the life of the city. Thus, in the ‘Nicomachean Ethics’, Aristotle defined Justice as ‘that virtue which regulates relationships between people, ensuring what is right and fair’, advocating for an image of Themis that represents not only the application of the law, but also its intrinsic morality.
The mythological perspective on justice is continued in Roman culture, being associated with the premise of collective stability, just as in Plato’s ‘Republic’ a just city is described as one in which each individual is responsible, fulfills their role, and contributes to social balance.
In modern times, philosophers such as Immanuel Kant, John Rawls, or Mircea Eliade have argued that “there is no peace without justice,” emphasized that “Justice is the first virtue of social institutions,” and that the symbols of justice are essentially elements that ensure social cohesion.
In the current social context, starting from the necessity of regaining the fundamental balance of a state’s development, we have wondered whether the relationship between justice and political power has not generated tensions caused by the use of the law as an instrument of control. We have questioned whether this controversial and tense relationship is not a devastating factor for social balance. To go beyond a predictable but inconsistent answer, we have aimed to analyze, as in the first part of this material, the perspective of abuse of power through the use of the law as a tool for exercising abuse.
Even though initially both in Greece and in ancient Rome the law was perceived as an extension of the divine will, Plato in the “Republic” captures the use of normative acts to temper human impulses. Noticing that the law was most often used in the interest of the powerful, he introduced some legislative reforms in Athens aimed at limiting the abuses of the aristocracy.
In the same context, we mention Aristotle’s observations in which he appreciated that the law can be distorted when the moment’s power interprets it in its own interest and benefit, thus generating distrust in the legislative system, promoting a bivalent perception of the law. We consider both the role of guaranteeing balance and social peace, as well as being an instrument of oppression.
Themis, represented with a scale in hand and blindfolded, the ancient symbol of Justice has survived for millennia, being adopted and adopted even in our days as such, precisely to evoke the idea of objective justice. However, we realize that between the mythological ideal and contemporary reality, there is an increasingly pronounced chasm. According to INSCOP surveys, more than 60% of Romanian citizens do not trust the act of justice. This phenomenon can be found throughout Central and Eastern Europe, with distrust in justice threatening to become endemic.
What led to the birth and development of this dangerous phenomenon? This is the question! It becomes much more complicated to formulate a correct answer necessary for the realization of a rehabilitation strategy for Goddess Themis in the eyes of the inhabitants of the city.
Perhaps starting from Cicero’s assertion ‘The greatest law is the greatest injustice,’ we realize that alongside the acute lack of regulation, poor application, and excessive regulation can generate the most authentic injustice. Cicero’s reflection is vital and necessary in a context where ‘form swallows substance’ and we forget that law and justice are for people and not against them!
Perhaps another reason for the current image of Justice is the distance between written law and the sense of justice felt in society, the introduction of new technologies without proper assessment, political or economic pressures, Justice as a media spectacle, civic education or its absence, and the dehumanization of the concept, are some of the reasons that cause Themis to suffer.
The goddess, with her eyes blindfolded and the scales in her hand, continues to watch over, even though the times are against her. For Justice to regain its power and credibility, dignity and efficiency, a profound reconnection with authentic values, ethical principles, institutional transparency, genuine independence, and equally deep civic education is needed.
Only under these conditions will the Goddess Themis regain her status as a living and credible symbol of a society that is currently divided and deeply troubled.
Only under these aspirational conditions will we be able to capture a smile of satisfaction on the goddess’s face.
Until then … Themis is crying!” Prof. Univ.Dr. Liviu Bogdan Ciuca
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