TruePresence Developer Reference

Three creatures—a Lion of great strength, an Ass of honest labors, and a Fox of cunning mind—formed a hunting partnership, agreeing to share equally in whatever prey they secured. Through their combined efforts, they killed a great stag in the forest.

The Lion, preparing to divide the spoils, spoke thus: "Let me divide this prize into three equal portions, that each may receive his due share." With these words, the Lion tore the stag into three parts. The first portion was of considerable size and excellence, which he claimed for himself. The second portion was smaller and of lesser quality, which he offered to the Ass. The third portion, consisting merely of bones and offal, he presented to the Fox.

The Ass, though troubled by this unjust division, spoke not in complaint, for he feared the Lion's wrath and the sharpness of his claws. But the Fox, possessed of greater cunning, said with honeyed words: "Noble Lion, surely your portion should be greater than ours, for you are the mightiest and most glorious among us. Your strength secured this prize! The remainder should be divided equally between the Ass and myself."

The Lion, pleased at this flattery and seeing the wisdom in the Fox's reasoning, agreed. He tore the Ass's portion in half and gave the equal parts to both the Ass and the Fox. Yet the Fox, with cunning haste, took from the Ass's new portion a goodly share and placed it with his own, saying, "These additional scraps are properly mine, for I alone spoke truth and honored the Lion's superiority."

Thus the Ass learned that those who do not advocate for justice receive the least, while the Lion learned that those who flatter their power receive the praise, not the virtue, of true distributive justice.

In ancient Sparta, the lawgiver Lycurgus undertook a radical reform to create a just society based on equitable distribution of resources among the citizen body. As Plutarch recounts, Lycurgus recognized that extreme wealth inequality had corrupted Sparta, creating resentment between rich and poor and undermining civic unity. He instituted the Great Rhetra, a constitutional reform that redistributed land equally among all Spartan citizens, ensuring that no family possessed vastly disproportionate resources.

Moreover, Lycurgus introduced an iron currency and prohibited the hoarding of precious metals, eliminating the class distinctions that wealth inequality had created. He established communal messes where all male citizens ate together, fostering equality and brotherhood. He also distributed political power through a system of councils that prevented any single individual or faction from dominating. Plutarch emphasizes that these reforms were not born from resentment but from philosophical conviction: justice requires that the community's resources be distributed for the common good rather than accumulated by individuals.

Though some wealthy families initially resisted, Lycurgus's reforms created a society where extreme poverty and extreme wealth both disappeared, replaced by a rough equality where all citizens possessed sufficient resources and respect. His distributive justice—the virtue of allocating communal goods according to the needs and merits of all members rather than allowing accumulation by the few—created the foundation for Sparta's legendary stability and social cohesion. His example demonstrates that true justice requires not only punishing wrongdoing but also structuring society to prevent unjust distributions of resources.

A shoemaker, once prosperous, has fallen on hard times. One evening, he prepares leather for a single pair of shoes, cuts it, and leaves it on his workbench. In the morning, he finds the shoes beautifully crafted. He sells them for good profit and buys more leather.

Each night, the same miracle occurs: leather he prepares is transformed into perfect shoes by morning. His business flourishes. Curious, the shoemaker and his wife one night hide to observe. At midnight, two tiny, naked elves appear. With swift, skillful hands, they stitch, hammer, and complete shoes with astonishing speed, then vanish as dawn approaches.

Grateful, the shoemaker and his wife sew tiny clothes, a coat and trousers, and leave them with the materials. That night, the elves discover their gifts, dress themselves, and depart, never to return. The shoemaker, however, has learned their craft during their years together. He continues making excellent shoes himself, and his honest work sustains him.

The tale illustrates distributive justice—the fair apportionment of gifts and rewards according to virtue. The elves, having received neither thanks nor payment, depart. The shoemaker, receiving his fortune without effort, learns that justice requires him to earn his own way. Through honest labor and the knowledge the elves' example imparted, he achieves sustainable prosperity that is truly his own.

William Wilberforce was born in 1759 in Hull, England, into a wealthy merchant family. After serving in Parliament, he underwent a profound evangelical Christian conversion that redirected his life toward social reform. At age twenty-six, Wilberforce dedicated himself entirely to abolishing the British slave trade, becoming the primary parliamentary champion of abolitionist legislation. Wilberforce's commitment to distributive justice—ensuring that legal and economic systems served all people fairly—drove him through decades of political struggle. In 1788, he introduced his first motion to abolish the slave trade, beginning a twenty-year campaign against an institution that enriched powerful merchant and colonial interests. He faced fierce opposition from Liverpool and London merchants who profited enormously from slavery. Wilberforce developed a comprehensive strategy combining moral appeals with economic arguments. He documented the horrific conditions aboard slave ships, bringing eyewitness accounts to Parliament. He exposed the hypocrisy of a Christian nation participating in the systematic destruction of human dignity. He allied with other reformers and abolitionists, gradually building political support despite powerful economic opposition. The slave trade flourished in the late eighteenth century, with British ships dominating the Atlantic commerce in enslaved Africans. Wilberforce understood that distributive justice required dismantling systems that enriched the few through the brutal exploitation of the many. He reframed the debate from abstract morality to fundamental questions of human rights and Christian responsibility. In 1807, after twenty years of persistent effort, Parliament finally passed the Slave Trade Act, prohibiting British participation in the slave trade. However, Wilberforce recognized that abolishing the trade was insufficient; slavery itself persisted throughout the British Empire. He immediately began campaigning for slavery's complete abolition. In 1833, just days before his death, Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act, formally ending slavery throughout the British Empire. Wilberforce's life demonstrated that distributive justice requires sustained political commitment and the willingness to oppose entrenched economic interests. His vision of a more just society required legal reform backed by moral conviction.