Topic Guide

What Is Social justice?

Social justice is a subject covered in depth across 5 podcast episodes in our database. Below you'll find key concepts, expert insights, and the top episodes to listen to — all distilled from hours of conversation by leading experts.

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Key Concepts in Social justice

Predator or prey dynamic

Judge Mathis describes this as the difficult reality for youth growing up in tough, crime-infested housing projects, where one must either victimize others or be victimized oneself. This concept highlights the lack of safe alternatives and the harsh choices presented by such environments (00:00).

Social injustice and poverty

Mathis came to understand during college that systemic social injustice is a fundamental cause of poverty, rather than merely individual failings. This realization shaped his career path toward law and civil rights, aiming to fight for those from disadvantaged backgrounds (02:02).

Second chances

This is a recurring theme central to Judge Mathis's story, beginning with his mother's successful plea for his probation, and continuing through his own judicial philosophy. He believes in providing opportunities for individuals to overcome past mistakes and redirect their lives, a mission he adopted due to his own transformative experience (01:01, 03:02).

The brutalities of intimacy

This phrase, mentioned by the hosts and embraced by the Patinkins, describes the challenging yet beautiful experience of profound vulnerability and being truly seen in a long-term relationship (03:19). It highlights that deep connection is not always easy but is a 'daring' and 'astonishing' journey of survival and thriving.

Negative space

Drawing from his cousin's work in landscape architecture, Mandy Patinkin applies the concept of 'negative space' (what you leave empty) to communication and personal life, particularly in the context of introversion (29:08). It emphasizes the value and beauty of quiet, silence, and not feeling compelled to fill every conversational void, especially for those who need peace in their minds.

Tinol lum

Kathryn Grody explains this Hebrew phrase as meaning 'seal the world' or 'heal the world' (64:06). It represents the belief in civic responsibility and participation to combat injustice 'one person at a time,' acting with kindness and standing up for common humanity wherever one sees a wrong, even when the task seems overwhelming.

What Experts Say About Social justice

1.Growing up in violent, crime-infested neighborhoods often presents a difficult choice between becoming a "predator or... prey" for young individuals (00:00).
2.Judge Mathis was arrested five times, four as a juvenile and once as an adult, before a life-altering conversation with his dying mother prompted him to change his path (01:01).
3.His mother's plea to a judge secured him probation and a second chance, allowing him to enter college before her death (01:01).
4.In college, Mathis recognized that "social injustice that created poverty" (02:02), leading him to major in pre-law and dedicate himself to fighting for civil rights.
5.Judge Mathis's criminal background caused the Michigan Bar to deny his law license for three years, requiring him to appeal to the state's Supreme Court to finally practice (02:02).
6.Motivated by the judge who helped him, Mathis ran for judge 15 years after his last arrest, aiming to provide "second chances" to troubled youth (03:02).