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Equity: Equity is an undefined legal concept that describes a fair or reasonable application of general legal provisions in individual cases. It allows judges to make decisions taking into account individual situations and principles of justice, even if they are not strictly defined by existing laws or rules. See also Court proceedings, Jurisdiction, Justice.
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Annotation: The above characterizations of concepts are neither definitions nor exhausting presentations of problems related to them. Instead, they are intended to give a short introduction to the contributions below. – Lexicon of Arguments.

 
Author Concept Summary/Quotes Sources

Aristotle on Equity - Dictionary of Arguments

Höffe I 58
Equity/Law/Aristoteles/Höffe: [Aristotle distinguishes] (...) justice from equity (epieikeia)
(1), equity concerns a correction of what is legally required.
>Justice/Aristotle
.
Where the literal application of a law does not do justice to a particular individual case, equity is intended to protect from a petty but merciless precision. For the person who acts justly is prepared to give in even where he has the law on his side.
(2) Aristotle anticipates this, since he calls the instance authorized to make coercive decisions, the judge, animated justice, but does not combine it with equity.
In the rhetoric
(3) he expressly obligates the judge to the law, only an independent institution, that of the arbitrator, is allowed to look at equity.
Individual case justice: Since legal rules restrict individual case justice in principle, they could be dispensed with altogether. However, Aristotle grants neither the regularity of laws nor the individual case justice of equity an exclusive right.
>Laws/Aristotle.
Laws/Aristoteles: He considers laws to be better in that they are free of passions, unlike people; man, on the other hand, knows better how to give advice for the individual. For, as today's speech of "all those who think equitably and justly" suggests, the law needs a general norm because of its responsibility for equal treatment, and must nevertheless appreciate the individual case in its unmistakable peculiarity.

1. Nicomachic ethics V 14
2. I. Kant, Rechtslehre, «Anhang zur Einleitung in die Rechtslehre».
3. I 13, 1374b 19-22

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Explanation of symbols: Roman numerals indicate the source, arabic numerals indicate the page number. The corresponding books are indicated on the right hand side. ((s)…): Comment by the sender of the contribution. Translations: Dictionary of Arguments
The note [Concept/Author], [Author1]Vs[Author2] or [Author]Vs[term] resp. "problem:"/"solution:", "old:"/"new:" and "thesis:" is an addition from the Dictionary of Arguments. If a German edition is specified, the page numbers refer to this edition.

Höffe I
Otfried Höffe
Geschichte des politischen Denkens München 2016


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