Law, labour, and humanity: A study of humanism in Galsworthy’s justice and strife

Abstract

The research paper analysis the concept of humanism in John Galsworthy’s plays Justice and Strife, emphasizing the crucial linkages among law, work, and humanity. Galsworthy’s oeuvre, composed at a time of considerable social and economic transformation in Britain, examines the conflict between the institutional powers of law and labor, and the individual’s quest for justice and dignity. In Justice, Galsworthy challenges the British judicial system, demonstrating its inadequacy in addressing the intricacies of human emotion, morality, and situation. The play’s protagonist, an innocent man caught in the machinery of a rigid and unforgiving legal system, exposes the dehumanizing effects of a system more concerned with procedure than with compassion. In Strife, Galsworthy concentrates on the industrial domain, illustrating the discord between labor organizations and bosses. This depiction underscores the intrinsic conflict between economic goals and human wellbeing, emphasizing the marginalization of individual workers in the context of capitalism objectives. Both plays elucidate the playwright’s humanism preoccupations, providing a criticism of society frameworks that stress legalism and profit above individual welfare. This research contends that Galsworthy use his works to interrogate the ethical foundations of law and labor relations, promoting changes that prioritize empathy, fairness, and the acknowledgment of human dignity. Through the exploration of his characters’ moral dilemmas and emotional conflicts, Galsworthy advocates for a reconceptualization of justice as inherently humanitarian rather than only legal or economic.