Maybe the ad writers did not appreciate the historical context while using the phrase SUUM CUIQUE in the german translation „Jedem das Seine“ to promote a new coffee for their clients ESSO and TCHIBO in 2009. Maybe they did not know that it was used as a redicule of the jewish prisoner in the KZ Buchenwald, in whose gate these words were engraved.
But „Ignorance is no defense“ - to answer with another phrase – and the accountable marketing people had to stop the campain immediately when the protests started (spiegel.de 2009).
For 2500 years people use the latin phrase SUUM CUIQUE. Some use it without any thinking about the historical meaning of this old saw, others appraise it as a tautologic phrase without any meaning because it offers no criterion which marks what everyone deserves. But if you look at the history of this words, you will find a long way of a saying that couches the initial point of any thinking about the constitution of justice. So it counts to the basic priciples of equality.
But what is the meaning of the phrase? Who had used it in which way in the past? And how can you use it today? Or can you only disuse it because of its youngest historical connotation?
To come up to the answers of these questions I want do to a historical excurs through the different contexts in which SUUM CUIQUE was used and abused in the past. Afterwards I want to answer the question, if the saying today is useful or useless. At this I also account for the conditions which in my opinion are relevant and have to be fulfilled if you use the saying today.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 SUUM CUIQUE – A storied saying
2. Principle Part
2.1 One saying – Many meanings
3. Conclusion
3.1 The choice of his saying not unconditionally shows what kind of person someone is
Objectives & Topics
The essay explores the historical, philosophical, and ethical dimensions of the Latin phrase "SUUM CUIQUE" ("to each his own"). It examines how this concept of justice has been interpreted, applied, and abused by various thinkers throughout history—from Plato and Aristotle to Hobbes, Kant, Marx, and Rawls—and addresses the necessity of linguistic responsibility in contemporary communication and marketing.
- Historical evolution of the concept of justice
- Philosophical interpretations of "to each his own"
- Abuse of historical phrases in totalitarian and modern contexts
- Linguistic responsibility in advertising and public discourse
- The relationship between morality, law, and social contracts
Auszug aus dem Buch
One saying – Many meanings
If you translate the latin phrase SUUM CUIQUE to english language, you will get two denotations with related meanings: „to each his own“ and „to each what he deserves“. But whenever it was used in the past, the authors exercised it in different intents related to their own philosophical and historical context.
Already Platon quotes his teacher Sokrates in the GORGIAS with the words „In my opinion, Polos, someone doing injustice or someone being inequitable is abject in any case, but more abject if he not achieves the right punishment for his legal wrong as if he will get his punishment from gods and humans“ (P, G, Polos 333). In his meaning justice is an effort or a function of the soul like hearing is a function of the body. Thereby a successful life is a life accordingly to the demand of justice.
In his POLITEIA Plato concluded that "justice is when everyone minds his own business, and refrains from meddling in others affairs. (P, P, IV, 433a). Also, everyone should receive "his own" and not be deprived of "his own" (P, P, IV, 433e). In this way of thinking the character and the virtuousness of a person assigns „to each his own“ to everyone. The origin of a virtue character is grounded in personal skills and in the right form of eduacation. Also everyone should get and nobody should be taken of his own. (P, P, IV, 433e).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The author introduces the Latin phrase "SUUM CUIQUE" through the lens of a controversial modern marketing campaign and outlines the historical and ethical questions to be explored.
2. Principle Part: This section provides a detailed philosophical examination of how various thinkers, including Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Hobbes, Kant, Marx, and Rawls, have defined justice and the distribution of "what is due" to individuals.
3. Conclusion: The author summarizes the importance of context, critiques the historical abuse of the phrase by the Nazis, and advocates for greater linguistic responsibility in modern societal communication.
Keywords
SUUM CUIQUE, Justice, Philosophy, Ethics, Linguistic Responsibility, Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Hobbes, Immanuel Kant, Karl Marx, John Rawls, Morality, Social Contract, Marketing Ethics, Historical Context
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this essay?
The essay analyzes the ethical and historical implications of the phrase "SUUM CUIQUE" and evaluates its usage from antiquity to the present day.
What are the central themes discussed?
The central themes include the evolution of the concept of justice, the moral philosophy of major thinkers, and the responsibility of public and corporate actors when using historically loaded language.
What is the primary objective of the work?
The objective is to explore how the meaning of "to each his own" has changed across different eras and to argue for a more conscientious approach to language in contemporary society.
Which scientific method does the author employ?
The author uses a historical and philosophical literature review, comparing different thinkers' interpretations of justice to reach a normative conclusion.
What is covered in the main section?
The main section contains a comparative analysis of how philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Hobbes, Kant, Marx, and Rawls interpreted justice and the allocation of individual rights.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include "SUUM CUIQUE," "Justice," "Philosophy," "Linguistic Responsibility," and "Social Contract."
How does the author connect the phrase to the Buchenwald concentration camp?
The author discusses the horrific abuse of the phrase by the Nazis, who engraved it on the gates of Buchenwald, and highlights the moral consequences of perverting historical language.
Why does the author advocate for "linguistic responsibility" in marketing?
The author argues that companies and institutions have a duty to avoid using phrases that carry deep historical traumas, as seen in the critique of a coffee advertisement that used "Jedem das Seine."
- Quote paper
- Daniela Schröder (Author), 2012, Cogitate the Context!, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/231855
