Social Justice vs. Poetic Justice

Social justice is capricious and requires force. Poetic Justice is reality applied to ideas and action.

While the social justice warrior needs intimidation backed by force to satisfy their immediate demands, the poetic justice warrior is patient and peaceful. The poetic justice warrior engages her capacity for reason, develops a purpose for her life, and is confident in her abilities. Here we express gratitude for those who forge life-fulfilling progress in economics, science, business, politics, and the arts – the Poetic Justice Warriors.

Are you a Poetic Justice Warrior? Take our quiz and find out.

What Makes A Poetic Justice Warrior?

Are you one of them? PJW’s are those who stand strong for:

  • Freedom

    Everyone owns their natural right to act freely according to their own judgment.

  • Productivity

    Being productive is essential to serving oneself and others.

  • Entrepreneurship

    Entrepreneurship is the activity that serves everyone best.

  • Morality

    Compassion and benevolence are natural virtues. The can’t be forced and shouldn’t be nationalized.

  • Reality

    Reality is the same for everyone. Reason is how we understand reality.

  • Rationality

    Poetic justice rewards rational behavior. It is spontaneous and organic.

  • Cooperation

    Poetic Justice Warriors focus on the economics of cooperation, not the politics of resentment.

  • Limited Government

    Faith in the American Republic as the Founding Fathers envisioned it. It’s the system of government that nurtures natural rights, productivity, entrepreneurship, compassion, and reason.

Ready To Dig Deep?

Check out these original Center for Individualism articles related to Poetic Justice Warriors:

Poetic Justice Warrior William Bradford Discovers the Source of Thanksgiving’s Abundance

William Bradford's epiphany was the triumph of capitalism over collectivism, and it completes the chain reaction - freedom, responsibility, self government, capitalism, abundance, and enjoyment. Tomorrow is the day for Americans of all nationalities to enjoy the people they value, take pleasure in the banquet afforded by their enterprise, and be grateful for humanity's newly discovered lives of reason, purpose, and pride.

Mel Brooks Found The Independent Virtues for Peaceful Human Progress in Comic Heroes

Brook's transcendence is proven with the first of these movies, The Producers (1967), which was re-created into a hit Broadway musical run nearly 40 years later. For Brooks, absurdity is an art form to be molded into a weapon against the endless absurdities of collectivism, particularly its most vile form, bigotry, whose politically correct version thrives today.

Temple Grandin is the Modern Poetic Justice Warrior Who Thinks in Pictures and Lives Her Dreams

Grandin's breakthrough, not considered possible for people living with autism at the time, was her successful integration of scientific inquiry, animal husbandry, and object-visual thinking into a highly productive career. This is the essence of the economic way, and active minds, "The thing about being autistic is that you gradually get less autistic, you keep learning, you keep learning how to behave."What would happen if the autism gene was eliminated from the gene pool? You would have a bunch of people standing around in a cave, chatting and socializing and not getting anything done.

Voltaire’s Independent Mind Revolutionized the Accepted Policies on How to Create a Harmonious Society

Even in his final days, Voltaire relished civilization in every form. In 1778, one month prior to his death, Voltaire embraced Benjamin Franklin. Here two of history's great bon vivants, one of the Old World, one of the New, one a patriarch of Europe, one a republican from America. Voltaire, who had spanned the age of classicism right up to the revolutionary era, was the most famous man of letters in all of Europe.

Poetic Justice Warrior John Bogle Mines Economic Value in Markets and Reputational Value in Minds

As a unit of account, money is why the price mechanism is essential to efficient markets. As a medium of exchange, its how the most people are able to experience and voluntarily share their pursuit of happiness. As a store of value, John Bogle saw a marvelous opportunity for value creation - exploit the price mechanism of efficient capital markets for the benefit of small investors.

Unlocking the Secrets of the Captive Mind – Poland’s Poet Laureate Czeslaw Milosz

Milosz discovered Ketman in Islamic theology. Also known as taqiyya, it is the practice of concealment and deception in order to preserve one's faith. For the intellectuals and bourgeoise in Milosz' Soviet occupied Poland after World War II, it was a matter of life and death. As the iron curtain of Communism's hopelessness fell in post war Poland, Ketman became necessary.

Terms of Endearment – Galt’s Gulch Remembers Neil Peart

I bought the album 2112 because I liked the cover, and it seemed to have something to do with science fiction. It just blew me away. Soon after, I looked up Ayn Rand in the library, and read Anthem. I believe that liner note introduced many of my generation to the works of Ayn Rand. The music was like no others, and the lyrics espoused thought and values.

The Standard Bearer For The Spirit of American Conservatism And Ideas Of Civilization – Gertrude Himmelfarb

Working class families readily put these values into practice and improved their lives and their communities. The evidence is overwhelming - quality of life rose, fertility rates and population increased, illegitimacy and crime rates fell, and sanitation and health care systems improved. Coincidental to this was the emergence of an impressive network of privately organized social safety nets for people who were unable help themselves.

The Inspiring Teacher and Leader With The Incredible Power to Heal Broken Spirits – Marva Collins

The fourth grade students interviewed in the original 1979 60 Minutes feature were asked who their favorite authors were. Some of the answers were Dostoevsky, Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Chaucer, or Kipling. One learning method was Socratic dialogue, and years later Collins explained that since they're great at memorizing rap lyrics, Plato becomes easy. Many went on to wonderful careers in law, medicine, business, and education.

Rose Wilder Lane Blesses The Thanksgiving Season With The Ultimate Purpose For Celebration – Freedom.

In one century, human energy has created an entirely dynamic world, constantly changing under the drive of terrific, incalculable energy. What explains this? What explains the effectiveness of any kind of energy ? Nothing but the existence of conditions which permit that energy to operate naturally. Only the protection of men's rights can keep their natural freedom operating on this earth.

The Literary Poetic Justice Warrior Fighting Hollywood’s Progressive Bigotry on Broadway – Atticus Finch

Harper Lee's masterpiece was an enlightening study of human nature. Her characterization of Finch illustrated the classical liberal values of self-reliance, compassion, tolerance, justice, and most of all, the essential role of a loving, dedicated father in the life of a child. Yet, there were very few examples of fatherly affection or life lessons in the play - the children were played by young adults.

The Modern Poetic Justice Warrior Who Proved Hydrocarbon Oxidation Cleans Humanity’s Environment – Alex Epstein

The use of fossil fuels in our modern era coincides with a massive increase in life expectancy and population, cleaner water and air, and increasing oil, natural gas, and food production. The dirty environment of food bacteria, poisonous plants, and rodent infestation have largely been solved. This frees time to be more productive and enjoy recreation, family, education, travel and the arts.

The Modern Poetic Justice Warrior On A Quest For The Soul Of America’s Universities – Heather Mac Donald.

The fallacies of the diversity movement that permeate all of college life is stunning, and the fees they charge for this crime are obscene. College should be a glorious opportunity for learning and inspiriation. In fact, we live in the most open and tolerant society for self-creation the world has ever known. Yet, the academic obsession with identity is ironic, since its deconstruction roots lie in a philosophy that denied the very existence of the self.

Henry Hazlitt – The Economic Conscience of Everything Western Civilization Has Achieved.

Hazlitt's greatest asset was a highly trained mind, one that he developed on his own. He summarized his work as "I’ve been preaching liberty as against coercion; I’ve been preaching capitalism as against socialism; and I’ve been preaching this doctrine in every form and with any excuse," and his fellow freedom fighters are some of the most prolific thinkers, authors, economists and activists of the 20th century.

Ludwig van Beethoven – The First Rock Star and Software Pioneer Who Set the Stage for the Romantic Era

While the printing press was changing the world, printed music was new because it was more difficult to create. Also, mass produced pianos were taking hold, and Beethoven saw the possibilities for being the first software publisher for this new hardware. As first mover to reach mass audiences, Beethoven stumbled across an abstract concept that had not yet been named: capitalism. For the first time in history, large swaths of humanity would soon enjoy the comforts previously reserved for royal court.

The Economics Professor Who Discovered the Only Natural Resource That Matters

The most important economic effect of population growth is the contribution of additional people to our stock of knowledge. This contribution is more than large enough to overcome the costs of population growth. The problem is not too many people, but lack of political and economic freedom. Profit is the only route to sustainability, it is up to entrepreneurs to save the world.

The Father of The Information Age And The Socialist State’s Resistance.

Like all great entrepreneurs, Lloyd best understood the needs of his customers and created innovative ways to serve those needs. Like the world wide web, he was open for business everyday, day and night. Lloyd knew better than anyone that the most important service he could deliver to these particular customers was information.

The Man Who Found Honor and Humor in Dirty Jobs.

Rowe's hero is his maternal grandfather who "dropped out of the eighth grade to work. He had to. By the time he was 30, he was a master electrician, plumber, carpenter, mason, mechanic. That guy was, to me, a magician."

The Poetic Justice Warrior Society Manifesto

The Poetic Justice Warrior Society exists to promote the innate talents, aspirations, and determination all human beings possess. We honor those who go before us, who inspire us with their work ethic and achievements, and who were essential in creating the lives of comfort and opportunity we enjoy today wherever capitalism is practiced. We focus on the economic way of voluntarily serving others through entrepreneurship, which is the process of converting scientific discovery into mass produced inventions that enrich the lives of everyone.

The Titan Among The Enlightenment’s Giants.

Benjamin Franklin was an inspiration to every strata of society. In the 18th century, it was commonly believed that aristocrats and commoners would live and die as such, but Franklin worked to erase this distinction. He was a commoner who became a wealthy self-made man, who lived a life or reason, purpose, and pride, and fought for all Americans, including the children of slaves, to be able to do the same.

The Medieval Inventor and Entrepreneur Who Sparked the Motor of the World

The mass distribution of ideas and the massive increase in human knowledge can be attributed to the invention of the printing press. This was the catalyst for human flourishing after a thousand years of despotism, anarchy, and mysticism. Johannes Gutenberg's invention launched the Age of Reason and the unleashing of the human mind.

The Uniquely American Self-Made Man

Perhaps no one in American history has a better claim to the title self-made man than the one who escaped from slavery to become one of the America's greatest anti-slavery activists, and an author, lecturer, and diplomat. Frederick Douglass never urged black Americans to enlist out of service to their country. They owed the country nothing. To Douglass, the United States owed black Americans the right to fight.

The Classical Roman Consul Who Inspired America’s Classical Liberal Constitution

After four months of debate and compromise in the 1787 sweltering heat of Independence Hall, Publius published 77 essays in New York City newspapers to sell Americans on the idea of ratifying the new Constitution. It is the most enduring achievement of the Enlightenment, and under its decentralized structure, it has proven itself to be the example for human flourishing throughout the world.

The Father of Classical Liberalism Whose Ideas Are Inscribed In Our Souls

John Locke had a precise sense of what political freedom means. Natural law dictates that no one can be legitimately subject to the will of another person or group of people. Through reason, Locke proved that no one is born to serve or rule. Legitimate government protects these rights, and is created by the consent of the governed. As the Enlightenment flowered in the 18th century because of modern science and maritime trade, Locke's sense of natural law was enshrined in America's Declaration of Independence.

The Dominican Friar Who Introduced the Western World to Western Civilization.

St. Thomas Aquinas combined the classical Greek ideal of reason with the Christian ideal of equality to usher the Catholic Church, and humanity, into the Age of Reason. Metaphorically, he invented water - what we know as the Western ideals of personal liberty, self-reliance, invention, tolerance, and limited government. The ensuing prosperity from human creativity is Poetic Justice.

The Diminuitive Russian Emigre Who is America’s Greatest Defender

Ayn Rand is one of the most admired and reviled characters in 20th century literature. Her magnum opus novel, Atlas Shrugged was panned by conservatives and progressives alike, yet it had something for everyone. A strong female lead character, a pollution free motor, heroic characters, good and evil, a love story, and a thriller. It was a manifesto for Man's right to life, liberty and property - capitalism. A modern epic tale of America's Declaration of Independence, a prophecy of a dystopian future, and the recipe to avoid what actually happened to her native Russia.

The Relentless Innovator in Childhood Education Who Inspires Teachers Worldwide

"The most important period of life is from birth to age six." This quote from Maria Montessori underscores how essential it is for a young child to have engaged parents who live a life of reason, purpose, and pride. Our government schools and public universities are graduating too many future parents who have never heard of this, and eventually rely on these same schools to also act as parents. It has been going on for 50 years. It has to end.

A Former Slave’s Determination to Transcend Politics with Philosophy and Economics in the Jim Crow South

Booker T. Washington was an advisor to Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Taft, his autobiography, Up From Slavery, was a national bestseller, his Tuskegee University producers scientists such as George Washington Carver, and with Andrew Carnegie, he founded America's first national business network. However is story is largely unknown as its been ignored by progressive public education establishment because Booker was a champion of individualism.

The Individual Mind Behind the Swedish Economic Miracle

The Swedish country parson, Anders Chydenius, is a relatively unknown giant among Enlightenment philosophers, economists, and inventors. His ideas written in the 1765 pamphlet, The National Gain, fueled the Swedish economic miracle from 1850-1950, and predated Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations. Thanks to Chydenius, Sweden was the first country in the world to adopt freedom of the press, 25 years before America's 1st Amendment, cementing economic freedom and political freedom as the co-dependent variables for human flourishing.
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The Entrepeneur Who Is Teaching Today’s Children And Parents The Economic Way.

In our postmodern culture, the political way has a monopoly on the minds of our youngest thinkers. Connor Boyack is fighting back and reclaiming elementary education for parents, and the teachers of their children, to teach the economic way. The goal is to arm active young minds with the distinction between persuasion and coercion, self-reliance vs. dependence, and how to win their own futures.

Social Justice Begets Poetic Justice – Be Careful What You Wish For.

Poetic justice rewards virtue and punishes vice. It's a spontaneous force of nature. Social justice punishes virtue in order to equalize outcomes. The thinking is that reality is different for everyone. It turns out that real inequality is in the sharing of risk. The loudest proponents of social justice are the ones who do not bear the burden of their risky ideas.
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