The term “righteousness” has been deployed in literature in a surprisingly varied manner, ranging from an expression of divine favor and moral duty to a critique of societal pretensions. Early theological works, such as those of Saint Augustine, frame righteousness as a pious state available only to those devoted to God ([1], [2], [3]), while classical Eastern texts like the Analects regard it as a central guide for ethical behavior and proper conduct ([4], [5], [6], [7]). Enlightenment and Romantic authors, including John Milton and Dostoyevsky, further imbued the word with notions of inherent moral virtue and an ideal of justice that both exalts and ultimately questions the human condition ([8], [9], [10]). Later literary voices, notably W. E. B. Du Bois and Mark Twain, used it to explore the tensions between personal integrity and societal hypocrisy ([11], [12], [13]). Thus, across diverse epochs and cultures, “righteousness” emerges as a multifaceted ideal—at once a divine mandate and a human aspiration.