ABSOLUTE FAIRNESS

When a lion devours a sheep, is this unfair? From the point of view of the sheep, it is unfair; his being viciously and intentionally murdered with no provocation. From the point of view of the lion, it is fair. He’s hungry and this is the daily bread he feels entitled to. Who is “right?” There is no ultimate or universal answer to this question because there’s no “absolute fairness” floating around to resolve the issue. In fact, fairness is simply a perceptual interpretation, an abstraction, a self-created concept. In spite of the fact that “absolute fairness” does not exist, personal and social moral codes are important and useful.                                                                                                                     - Auriela McCarthy