Philosophy

A Bit of Hopkins

AS kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies dráw fláme;
As tumbled over rim in roundy wells
Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell’s
Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;
Each mortal thing does one thing and the same: 5
Deals out that being indoors each one dwells;
Selves—goes itself; myself it speaks and spells,
Crying Whát I do is me: for that I came.

Í say móre: the just man justices;
Kéeps gráce: thát keeps all his goings graces; 10
Acts in God’s eye what in God’s eye he is—
Chríst—for Christ plays in ten thousand places,
Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his
To the Father through the features of men’s faces.

-- One might fall into just action by accident, or undertake such action for gain. So how does the just person do justice. Some philosophers say such a person desires to behave justly and, recognizing this as an instance of justice, acts. Some say such a person recognizes what this action is and in that recognition finds a reason to do this action. What Hopkins says here is not quite either of these. There's no recognition and deliberation process.