[Series Part 1] Agatha Christie’s Masterpieces: Judges Above the Law

— Focusing on Murder on the Orient Express and And Then There Were None

 

“If the law remains silent, how far can a human go as a judge?”

 

What was once a shocking imagination in her time has now become an unsettling reality in ours. Why did the figures in Agatha Christie’s novels—those who stood above the law—choose to take the scales of justice into their own hands?

※ Note: This article contains major spoilers for 'Murder on the Orient Express' and 'And Then There Were None'.

 

1. Justice as the End, Life as the Means: The Kantian Question

Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative famously states: “Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never merely as a means to an end, but always at the same time as an end.”

In Christie’s narratives, however, the self-appointed judges believe their actions are the ultimate fulfillment of justice. To them, the victims are reduced to mere objects chosen to complete their version of justice. In this framework, their abstract ideal is placed above the sanctity of human life. Here, killing is not a sudden, impulsive outburst; it is a coldly calculated choice. This is the dilemma that arises when human reason absolutizes itself.

 

2. Two Forms of Judgment: The Individual vs. The Collective

And Then There Were None depicts a judgment carried out by a single individual. The judge operates with absolute logic and conviction, yet the entire process unfolds in terrifying isolation. As readers, we find ourselves unable to fully condemn his logic, yet equally unable to embrace it.

In contrast, Murder on the Orient Express explores a collective judgment. Twelve individuals share a common history and divide the burden of the deed, reaching a single conclusion through consensus. The truth is revealed, but the responsibility is never pinpointed to one person. Justice remains an anonymous, silent, and collective act.

 

3. The Moment Responsibility Fades

Though their methods differ, both works converge on a single point. In And Then There Were None, the judge punishes others while simultaneously confronting his own past; his judgment is an execution of justice, but also a desperate attempt to justify his own existence.

In Murder on the Orient Express, the group experiences a similar phenomenon. Responsibility becomes lighter the moment it is shared, and no single individual perceives themselves as the sole perpetrator. In this way, violence is not hidden—it is normalized as a routine choice.

This leads us to a fundamental question:

Does the meaning of justice change depending on whether it is carried out by one or by many?

 

 

Next in the Series: Part 2. When Imagination Becomes Reality

“The Orient Express is no longer just a train on the snowy tracks; it has become a way of navigating the online world.”

 

 

References

‧Moral Ambiguity:

A situation where it is difficult to distinguish right from wrong, causing the reader to simultaneously condemn and empathize with the perpetrator.

 

‧Categorical Imperative (Kant's Moral Law):

The fundamental principle of Kant’s ethics: "Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law."

 

‧Self-Righteousness:

The arrogant conviction that one's own beliefs and actions are morally superior to those of others, often used by these 'judges' to justify their crimes.