Thomas Aquinas versus the Economists
Rather than seeking to submerge economics into Thomistic inquiry, present-day dissatisfaction with economics might be better taken in another direction.
The lunette of one of the side doors depicting St. Thomas Aquinas, detail of the facade of the Church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy (Zvonimir Atletic / Shutterstock.com).The Danger of the Mass Incarceration Movement to Public Safety and Justice
Image: LightField Studios/Shutterstock.comAbsent Justice: Game of Thrones Season 4
“If you have come for justice, you have come to the wrong place,” cries Tyrion Lannister, sitting in a dungeon, accused of a murder that his judges, who include his father, know he did not commit. Tyrion makes this comment to a noble who offers to be his champion in a single combat against a fearsome warrior—a combat that will resolve Tyrion’s case. By killing the warrior, the noble aims to avenge the rape and murder of his sister. But, as Tyrion’s champion, the noble has his skull crushed for his effort.
Tyrion’s comment could serve as an epigram for the entire season. It is not only the intrigued filled capital of King’s Landing but the entire world which appears to be the wrong place to find justice.
Indeed, this season is best seen as a meditation on the absence of justice in that world and perhaps on the limitations of justice in ours. Being just is a very dangerous personal stance to take in a pervasively unjust society. A virtuous circle of good behavior cannot begin when injustice is tolerated, let alone rewarded.
