公正
こうせい · kousei · JLPT N3 · noun
fairness
⚖️ 公正 = public + correct: what is right for everyone
公 (kō) means public or shared, and 正 (sei) means correct or upright. Together they mean being right toward everyone without favouring anyone, which is fairness or impartiality. The same 正 appears in 正しい (tadashii, correct).
公 — eight 八 + private 厶
Originally an ideograph showing 八 (to divide) over 厶 (private/self), depicting the act of splitting away from selfish interest. The combination came to mean 'public' or 'fair,' the opposite of private. It later extended to senses like 'duke,' 'lord,' and 'grandfather.'
正 — one 一 + stop 止
Originally an ideograph showing a foot (止) advancing toward a target line (一), meaning 'to march straight toward' a city or goal. From this came the senses 'upright,' 'correct,' and 'proper.' The military sense survives in 征 (to campaign), which took over the original 'march' meaning.