C.S. Lewis on Justice

C.S. Lewis used The Fox from Till We Have Faces as a mouthpiece to briefly express his understanding of justice and why he believe Gods should be unjust. The statement was something along the lines of "The Gods are not just - and we're better off for it", which likely is meant to imply that if people got justice, then we would all be worse off for it, and that we should desire grace instead. I am reminded of a conflicting Marcus Aurelius quote "Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. if there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on the memories of your loved ones". On one hand, if we are made to be fallen creatures, then I do not see how C.S. Lewis's understanding of justice is applicable here. Yet if we all make the choice to do evil, unilaterally, then he cannot be incorrect. It would be easy to claim that Lewis is wrong, and that whatever Gods may be ought to be just, and give us that justice, but I cannot claim the authority to say such things and mean them.

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