To understand the exact meaning and difference between both terms, let’s start with a small tale. There was a village once having a social gathering at an event. In the middle of the event, a person saw a baby crying in the river, so he rushed to save him. As soon as people rushed to the river, more babies were added to the river, people started rescuing them all. But two of them went up the bridge and stopped the person who was throwing the babies into the river.
This tale might sound a little unethical, but the difference is quite clear here. People rescuing the bay showed the act of charity while the people who went up the bridge to stop the person showed the act of justice.
Justice vs Charity
The main difference between justice and charity is that charity is meeting someone’s immediate need and helping them, while justice is getting to the root of the problem and solving it in the best way. Basically, justice is overseeing the concept of overseeing the urgent need of doing the right and staying in the system to resolve the issue through legal ways.
Justice is more like giving people what they actually deserve. It is not about being always right or doing good always but doing what is right even if it hurts the sentiments of other people. Justice is getting to the root and main cause of the problem and finding the best solution to it.
Charity, in other words, is generosity towards the people or someone who is in need and is suffering. Charity is not always providing financial assistance but could be anything done out of the right mind to someone who is in need. Charity is a humanitarian act that allows you to give something to someone in need voluntarily.
Comparison Table Between Justice and Charity
| Parameters of Comparison | Justice | Charity |
| Meaning | Justice is the process of changing something socially and through political structures. | Charity is a social service that is done voluntarily out as a humanitarian act. |
| Response | It responds to the long-term need of an individual or the whole group. | It is the immediate response to the needy. |
| Directed at | It is directed at the root and the main cause of the problem, that why and how did the problem occur and getting to the best solution for it. | It is reacted towards the problems that are already existing and is directed towards the effects and issues of injustice. |
| Act | It is a public act. | Charity is a private act. |
| Example | Court announcing punishment to the criminal after getting valid proofs. | Providing shelters to the homeless or giving them food and clothes. |
What is Justice?
Justice is more like giving people what they actually deserve. It is not about being always right or doing good always but doing what is right even if it hurts the sentiments of other people. Justice is getting to the root and main cause of the problem and finding the best solution to it. Justice is the idea of both ethics and legal method of resolving an issue. It is not an immediate action, it might take longer to reach the right platform and make the right decision, but it is the only way through legislation and doing the right thing.
The concepts, ways, and methods of justice are different in every culture and in every country. It is a way so that people of every religion, caste, race, sex, and culture behave in the same way, and no one ever feels left out or disgraced. Justice is the only way that marks the path of a civilized society. Without justice and laws, societies will be intolerant, harsh and will consequently lead to conflicts and maybe even war.
What is Charity?
Charity, in other words, is generosity towards the people or someone who is in need and is suffering. Charity is not always providing financial assistance but could be anything done out of the right mind to someone who is in need. Charity is a humanitarian act that allows you to give something to someone in need voluntarily.
Charity is the way of showing humanitarian acts towards society. It is essential so that there will be something for the public benefit, relief, and assistance to people in need.
The main aim of the charity is to do such things that satisfy the need of the needy and also fall under the category of what the law says charitable so that you are not going against the law and helping the people along too. These things include relieving the need of the poor, providing facilities to the needy ones. Basically, it is established in order to benefit the public out of the personal will.
Main Differences Between Justice and Charity
- The main difference between justice and charity is that Justice is the process of changing something socially and through political structures, while Charity is a social service that is done voluntarily out as a humanitarian act.
- Justice responds to the long-term need of an individual or the whole group, but charity is the immediate response to the needy.
- Justice is directed at the root and the main cause of the problem, that why and how did the problem occur and getting to the best solution of it while charity is reacted towards the problems that are already existing and is directed towards the effects and issues of injustice.
- Justice is a public act, while Charity is a private act.
- An example of justice is- Court announcing punishment to the criminal after getting valid proof. Example of charity is-Providing shelters to the homeless or giving them food and clothes.
Conclusion
It is now to be concluded that both justice and charity are for the people and satisfying their needs. Although both of them have totally different approaches and ways, the ultimate aim is to serve the people. Charity is the immediate solution for the needy ones, while justice is going the root cause by digging deeper. Charity is done out of someone’s own will and to help someone who is in need. Basically, it is an act of kindness. Justice, on the other hand, is something that is done through a whole process, and according to the law, justice makes a society civilized.
Justice is more like giving people what they actually deserve. It is not about being always right or doing good always but doing what is right even if it hurts the sentiments of other people. Charity is the way of showing humanitarian acts towards society. It is essential so that there will be something for the public benefit, relief, and assistance to people in need.
References
- https://www.jstor.org/stable/3750151
- https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.4159/9780674042605/html
- https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/292866