Introduction#
Some people have called me a moral tyrant, while others have called me a righteous partner. My former roommate recommended that I watch Fate/stay night, and the protagonist Emiya Shirou's dream is to become a righteous partner. Because I like to stand out and show an attitude of "when the world is in chaos, it is the duty of every man to act," he said that my behavior is like that of a righteous partner. I denied it firmly, as I only hope to have a good social environment, and for this, I am willing to pay a limited cost that does not harm lives. I am not a righteous partner, I will not sacrifice my life for a revolution, I am acting for my own interests, not some noble morality. However, these interests are based on my specific values.
Therefore, a person's values that place righteousness or other interests at the top actually determine the nature of the interests they pursue. So, I realized that compared to general societal values, I am indeed a sick person. In shock, I realized that I had unconsciously missed out on so many opportunities to easily obtain happiness, and instead pursued happiness from the perspective of justice. Isn't that foolish?
But after experiencing many things, I gradually understood that this is what it means to be a "righteous partner."
Definition of a Righteous Partner#
Justice is a state that should exist. But justice does not come naturally. When more people advocate for justice, it becomes easier for justice to transition from what should be to what is. As for whether I am a righteous partner, the first step is to define what a righteous partner is.
Emiya Shirou's understanding of justice: atonement for the Great Fire of Fuyuki in 1994 and inheriting the ideals of Kiritsugu Emiya, not wanting others to be hurt or die, hoping that the people around him will no longer cry, but not caring about himself. In Shirou's case, he will not regret it. In Archer's case, he deeply understands that justice is about upholding order, and there is no justice without sacrifice, returning to his original purpose in the Unlimited Blade Works route.
Whether it's Shirou or Archer, the controversy lies not in the definition of justice, but in the actual effects of upholding justice. Shirou believes that people should not be hurt or die. Regarding his own life, Shirou cannot be said to pursue death or allow himself to die; it is more of an excessive self-confidence. Archer, on the other hand, understands the cost of justice. The two are not contradictory. Therefore, in the analysis of the righteous partners in Fate/stay night, it is more of a spirit of selfless dedication. In other words, it is about valuing the independent value of justice.
Concept of Justice and System of Interests#
Through What is Justice and What is Interest, we learn that:
Justice is a tendency for all things to receive what they deserve. This tendency does not mean it is already a result, but rather changes with the balance of material forces. Justice does not only exist in humans, but in all things that can influence the objective world.
Interest refers to the abstract term for objective things that can satisfy the needs of a subject under a specific concept.
Therefore, for those who pursue justice, the transition from what should be to what is is already a form of interest under the concept of justice.
I used to believe that without power, there is no struggle. And I promoted social change in various ways. Although I also pursued certain interests, these interests were more about creating a good social environment. At that time, I believed that this was a necessary process for justice to transition from what should be to what is. For this reason, I had to engage in necessary struggles.
This kind of thinking tries to push an ideal goal towards reality, and there is a sense of indulgence in the negative consequences it brings to oneself. From this perspective, it can indeed be considered a righteous partner.
Anyone who pursues justice is not engaging in behaviorism, but hopes to increase the possibility or probability of justice transitioning from what should be to what is through their own intervention. The pursuit of justice itself is a concept of interest.
Consequences of Pursuing Justice#
It is truly a single-minded obsession. I used to think that what I was doing was in line with my personal interests, but interests themselves are a form of interest under a conceptual system. Although it is not necessary to use the concept of interest from an animalistic perspective, this conceptual interest loses its meaning as concepts change.
I have always mentioned the Political Black Forest. It means that politics is like a black forest, and if a person pursues so-called justice, it is like emitting their own light and heat to the entire universe, broadcasting their coordinates. The result is either creating a trajectory that isolates oneself from the universe, embarking on interstellar escape, or being directly shattered.
Examples of Pursuing Justice#
Justice is about allowing each person to receive what they deserve. We should ask ourselves, what we pursue, is it deserved or not? I believe it is deserved, but the degree to which we deserve it is much lower than in other places. This is because society generally does not want to reclaim their own rights.
In recent days, I have been fighting for the so-called rights of the people in the village, creating opportunities for them to cast their votes, but they dare not vote. When I failed, he said I was a useless worm, just wriggling around. I felt bored, the more mental effort I expended, the more harm I suffered.
It's better to embark on interstellar escape. Even if I cannot escape the fate of destruction, at least I won't die in the middle of a cesspool.
Inappropriate Righteous Partners#
Pursuing justice is a difficult and arduous game, and although I want to quit, I find it difficult to escape. Even I myself wonder why I am so boring and always think about these self-inflicted troubles. Is it because I have read too many poems about sacrificing oneself for righteousness and patriotic verses in the past? If I hadn't been exposed to this information, would I still be like this? I asked my friend who called me a righteous partner what he thought about these things. He said he is not influenced by such things and that he will find a place for himself and live his own life when the time comes. In other words, hide in a small building and do not care about the changes of the seasons.
Whether it is today's discussion on what is justice or what is interest, they are all preparations for my exploration of the question of righteous partners. From twelve o'clock until now, about ten hours have passed, and I truly feel like I am crazy.