Introduction#
Someone once called me a moral tyrant, while others said I was a righteous partner. My former roommate recommended that I watch Fate/stay night, and the protagonist Emiya Shirou dreams of becoming a righteous partner. Because I like to stand out and show an attitude of "when the world is in danger, it is the duty of every man to act," he said that my behavior resembles that of a righteous partner. I denied it straightforwardly, as I only hope to have a good social environment, and for this, I am willing to pay a limited price that does not harm lives. I am not a righteous partner; I will not sacrifice my life for a revolution. I act for my own interests, not some noble morality. However, these interests are based on my specific values.
Therefore, a person's values that prioritize justice or other interests actually determine the nature of the interests they pursue. So, I realized that compared to general societal values, I am indeed a sick individual. To my surprise, I had unconsciously missed out on 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 be. However, justice does not come naturally. When more people advocate for justice, it becomes easier for justice to transition from being a should to being a reality. As for whether I am a righteous partner, we must first define what a righteous partner is.
Emiya Shirou's understanding of justice: Redemption for the Great Fire of Fuyuki in 1994 and the inheritance of Emiya Kiritsugu's ideals. He does not want others to be injured or die, and hopes that the people around him will no longer cry, but he does not care 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 without sacrifice, there is no justice. In the Unlimited Blade Works route, he returns to his original aspiration.
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 harmed or killed. Regarding his own life, Shirou cannot be said to be pursuing death or allowing 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, the analysis of righteous partners in the Fate/stay night visual novel 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 understanding What is Justice and What is Interest, we know that:
Justice is a tendency that allows all things to receive what they deserve. This tendency does not imply a definite result but changes with the variation of material forces. Justice does not only exist within humans but also within 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 justice as a should to justice as a reality is already a form of interest within the concept of justice.
I used to believe that without power, there is no struggle. And I have been promoting social change in various ways. Although I am also pursuing certain interests, these interests are more about creating a better social environment. At that time, I believed that this was a necessary process for justice to transition from a should to a reality. For this reason, I had to engage in necessary struggles.
This kind of thinking attempts 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 a should to a reality through their own intervention. The pursuit of justice itself is a concept of interest.
Consequences of Pursuing Justice#
It is truly an 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 within a conceptual system. Although it is unnecessary to use the concept of interest in an animalistic sense, 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. If a person pursues so-called justice, it is like radiating 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 shattered directly.
Examples of Pursuing Justice#
Justice is about allowing each person to receive what they deserve. We should ask ourselves whether what we pursue is 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 villagers, creating opportunities for them to cast their votes, but they dare not vote. When I failed, one of them said that I was a useless worm, just wriggling around. I found it boring. The more mental effort I put in, the more harm I receive.
It is 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. Although I want to quit, I find it difficult to escape. Even I 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 kind of information, would I still be like this? I asked my friend who called me a righteous partner about his thoughts on these matters. He said he is not influenced by such things and will find a place for himself to live his own life when the time comes. In other words, he will hide in a small building, indifferent to the changes of seasons.
Whether it is today's discussion on what is justice or what is interest, they are all preparations for addressing the question of righteous partners. From twelve o'clock until now, about ten hours have passed, and I truly feel like I am crazy.