Beyond Fairness: Conscience as the Key to Justice

“Justice without conscience is merely petty fairness.” Professor Choi Jae-Cheon, an ecologist leading the popularization of science through interdisciplinary convergence, emphasized that the value of “conscience” is the core element in building a just society, based on ecological insight and an evolutionary perspective.

PNU Library invited Professor Choi Jae-Cheon, Honorary Professor at Ewha Womans University and Chairman of “the Biodiversity Foundation,” to host the third “Meet the Author” event at Saebyeok Maru in Saebyeokbeol Library on August 13th. Prof. Choi, who researches animal behavior and evolutionary ecology while conveying values essential to our society, has authored numerous essays including “Conscience” and “Choi Jae-Cheon's Hope Class.” He also operates the popular YouTube channel ‘Choi Jae-cheon’s Amazon’. Approximately 200 people attended the lecture in person, and it was also streamed online.

Professor Choi pointed out at the beginning of his lecture, “In an era where the word ‘fairness’ is thrown around indiscriminately, the word ‘conscience’ is actually and slowly disappearing.” He emphasized that “conscience is a candle in the heart that cannot be extinguished,” stressing that fairness is completed by “warm consideration” that goes beyond mere formal equality.

To illustrate this, he used a baseball stadium analogy. If three people of different heights are given chairs of the same height to watch a baseball game, the shortest person still cannot see the game. He stated, “True fairness is giving the shortest person a taller chair.” He continued adding, “Only when conscience is added to equality can we achieve a just and beautiful society.”

He then addressed common misconceptions about evolutionary theory. Having studied Charles Darwin’s theory throughout his career, he criticized the social tendency to distort “survival of the fittest” as meaning only excessive competition, stating, “Darwin absolutely did not say that one must fight and win to survive.” Instead, he explained that nature has evolved through cooperation, as seen in the symbiosis between flowers and insects.

He also diagnosed the social absence of the word “conscience.” Professor Choi remarked, “Expressions like ‘a person with no conscience’ used to be common. After living in the US for 15 years and returning, I noticed the word ‘conscience’ itself isn’t used much anymore.” He analyzed that this reflects not just a linguistic shift, but society moving in a direction where conscience is no longer considered to be necessary.

He also shared examples of personally practicing conscience. He revealed that in the past, he participated in the “Donggang Dam Construction Opposition Movement” and published an open letter to the president in a newspaper. He also recounted the story of returning “Jedol,” a bottlenose dolphin used in illegal shows, to the waters off Jeju, stating, “It’s the thing I'm most proud of having done in my life.” He further emphasized, quoting the phrase “I couldn't bear to, anyway, rather than,” mentioned in the preface of his book ‘Conscience,’ stating, “These three words were the very compass of my life and the motivation for my actions.”

The lecture also included a Q&A session with the audience. When one attendee asked, “How do you live a life of constant preparation?” He advised, “I learnt the thorough preparation lifestyle while working as a Harvard dormitory supervisor. Since everyone has only 24 hours a day, preparing in advance creates leeway and reduces mistakes.”

Reporter Seo Hye-Ryeong

Translated by Channel PNU