Between Violence and Law, Is There a Place for Justice?

The interrelationship between violence, law and ultimately justice is bound by the relationships between individuals, between individuals and the state, between collectives and groups. A regulative force emerges through these structures. The links between violence, law and justice have been theorised throughout history. One of the earliest renditions is articulated by Hesod as Zeus and Themis (the goddess of divine justice) gave birth to Dikē (justice), placing her on Earth empowering her as the guardian of human justice. This interrelationship derives from the Greek, embodied in Dikē related to the law, the nomos, the underlying set of laws that structure societies. Nomos refers to the universe, providing the underlying schema for understanding all law; it is the law of law. Nomos is not revealed in statute, that one society has one set of regulations different from others, but through the fact that regulations exist. The distinction of the individual nature of a set of laws, of participating, being a part of society, stems from the regulative force of Dikē. Justice, human justice, is the horizon between violence and law.