An eye for an eye

[SigmaSD]

In your opinion, does such mentality really deter people from committing heinous acts?
Should it be more incorporated in modern society?
What will be some changes that might arise if such rules are applied?

I don't really think it stops people from committing crimes. Especially if they are desperate and in dire need of something, or if they just can't risk too much. Sometimes the benefits outweigh the risks. But then there are those individuals that just have poor choice management.

I don't think it should be incorporated in modern society cause I think it is wrong. It will make people no different than the person who committed the crime, since technically the will be incurring the same acts upon the individual (I'm talking about the perpetrator here)

I think all hell would break lose if it was incorporated in modern society, especially since most people would most likely rebel such rules or regulations.

And notice how I said "in your opinion". Meaning what you think and no one else's. If someone happens to disagree with you, that doesn't make them wrong or right, its just what they think so hopefully no flaming. However, constructive debating is allowed. And I only say that cause it feels like some flaming is bound to happen.

[Anoleis]

I don't really see the point in using ancient punishments on people, doesn't float my boat.

[Hypatia]

It does not stop people from committing crimes but it does tell them that there are consequences for their actions. If a person really wants to commit a crime they will do it regaurdless of anything or anyone else.
After all an eye for an eye makes the world blind.

[Wio]

I don't really see the point in using ancient punishments on people, doesn't float my boat.

Prison is an ancient punishment. You'd better start coming up with some modern punishments fast.


An eye for an eye is ultimately the perfect punishment if your goal is retribution. It won't necessarily stop future crime because the dude without an eye can still continue being mischievous after you take their eye out. In addition someone who takes something which can't be taken from him, he has nothing to lose.

[brolyx74]

After all an eye for an eye makes the world blind.

No, it makes the whole world cover an eye with one hand.

Its not saying you gouge out your own eye after someone did it to you. You gouge out their eye. Yes, I am talking this metaphor literally.

[Desulishor]

one would think that rehabilitation or working punishments (dunno the right term here) would be better than prison, but sometimes it's the only valid option. Ppl like serial killers who are psychotically evil are just too dangerous to be left inside the society, even if you try to teach them how to live and work properly.

[Furore]

As much as I'd love to say retribution is terrible and should never be thought of or whatever, in my experience some people seem to only understand violence.
If I want to stop someone doing something I really have to use a strategy that would work with them. For some, a simple chat about things will suffice, for a rare few, sometimes an eye for an eye approach is the only way of getting them to take you seriously. And yes, sometimes it is a matter of retribution begetting retribution until one person finally caves.

[Bugsiee]

No i don't think that this meantality will work on the majority of people who commit the crimes because this mentality would be considered childish and meaningless as these people are adults after all, an eye for an eye, if you take it littraley then it would be something like this: if you kill someone then someone should kill you and then someone should kill your killer cos he killed you ,and then before you know it everyone is dead. I'm only taking this littraley, it says an eye for an eye, which means if you hit someone then you get hit back you don't get a warning, if it were an eye for an arm or something then maybe you could be warned first before being slapped, or sent to jail and given a chance to make amends before you get killed. I think in modern society we have adopted the eye for an arm mentality. I don't think it should be incorporated into modern society and i think the change would be higher crime rates. This is just in my opinion.

[-GAZKUL-]

not this one again. like i said last time life imprisonment should mean life but execution is the single most retarded way of saying that murder is wrong.

[Kanjoudakai_Ira]

I completely agree. You deserve being done to what you do to others.
You deserve mercy when you show mercy.
You deserve kindness when you show kindness.
You deserve pain when you inflict pain.

End of story.

And like the old samurai saying, "If you slay with the sword, expect to be slayed by it."

[Eris]

And like the old samurai saying, "If you slay with the sword, expect to be slayed by it."

Jesus was a samurai now?


But yeah. Eye for an eye justice just leads vendettas, with general suffering as a consequence. It's inflexible, and just doesn't make a lot of sense at all. Punishments should protect society from criminals, not satiate the blood lust of the victims. Two wrongs don't make a right, and stuff of that nature.

Additionally, there is little correlation between severity of punishments and crime rates. There are many examples of countries with long prison sentences and capital punishment with higher higher homicide rates than those with shorter sentences, no capital punishment and an emphasis on rehabilitation rather than punishment.

[getsu]

i think as a basis for a moral code it is foolish. it takes no consideration in to any attributes that made this crime happen. it takes a simple basic view of what happened and turns it back around, but one must look deeper into a crime to evaluate the deserving punnishment, murder for murder, manslaughter for manslaughter, you kill one mans wife so he kills yours,
this saying only remindes me of vengence or getting even and sounds immature.

of course if you took this saying and appalyed it to the trade market since the saying does not directly relate to anything in paticular you could be on to somthing.
equal price for equal goods sounds like good old fair trade to me.

[brolyx74]

Jesus was a samurai now?

Yes he was. What, you didn't know that? I am shocked Eris.

[Meenah]

What good will it do? A person was killed by someone, and you kill that particular someone and their family members its not going to do anything. It won't bring that person back at all.

[Anime-Prince]

What good will it do? A person was killed by someone, and you kill that particular someone and their family members its not going to do anything. It won't bring that person back at all.

I totally agree.

[Saxima]

In the "Eye for and eye" thing, I think it goes like this:

You take a life, your life gets taken.
You treat others with respect, you're treated with respect.
You show courtesy, you get shown courtesy.

It's not that hard a concept, and I think it's a good one. If I killed someone, I think that I would deserve to be killed.

[Meenah]

In the "Eye for and eye" thing, I think it goes like this:

You take a life, your life gets taken.
You treat others with respect, you're treated with respect.
You show courtesy, you get shown courtesy.

It's not that hard a concept, and I think it's a good one. If I killed someone, I think that I would deserve to be killed.

Of course its not a hard concept but its very different situation you listed. The last two are just good things.
Again, this eye for an eye thing, no one is happy in the end no matter what. You may be the happy one but first of all, even that person you want is dead. But the person who was killed by them is still dead. Therefore, you'll still be upset. As well for the family of the other person, they'll feel half as worse knowing that the person who was killed did something wrong and paid the price for it.

Its a no win deal. And if you asked me, I would feel the same way if my loved one was killed. Yes, I would like the person to die because I'm hurt. I have feelings. ;/ But I still think the person who had killed my loved one is not worth anything at all. I'd rather have the person suffer instead of an insta-kill.

[Anime-Prince]

Eye for an eye doesn't work in real life.

If someone commits murder.. and they deserve to die, then the person killing them, is committing the same crime. That's when things turn stupid. Where does it end?

Eye for an eye is basically- We dissuade people from committing crimes.. by committing the same crimes.
It's a ridiculous concept.

[aether]

Heres a novel idea why not use the Gladiator system like the Romans did. Sure there will be those who say its barbaric but think about it we will be reducing the numbers of criminals and they will be providing a bit of entertainment

[Eris]

Heres a novel idea why not use the Gladiator system like the Romans did. Sure there will be those who say its barbaric but think about it we will be reducing the numbers of criminals and they will be providing a bit of entertainment

How would that work? It's already been demonstrated that capital punishment doesn't reduce crime rates, so why would another form of capital punishment be more effective?

[aether]

How would that work? It's already been demonstrated that capital punishment doesn't reduce crime rates, so why would another form of capital punishment be more effective?

Quite simple what you do is you drop prisoners into a pit and tell them they'll only gain their freedom if they are the last man standing

[Skylar1]

Quite simple what you do is you drop prisoners into a pit and tell them they'll only gain their freedom if they are the last man standing

um, barbaric much?

Besides, that still doesn't solve the problem; only causes a lot of pain and suffering.

See this thread for more information

[aether]

yes it does solve the problem because there will be less criminals to keep an eye on afterwards

[brolyx74]

One of the reasons for the death penalty is not just for revenge, but to remove dangerous people from society. As long as they are still alive they could harm others. Death as a punishment isn't as petty as some people make it out to sound.

[Eris]

Quite simple what you do is you drop prisoners into a pit and tell them they'll only gain their freedom if they are the last man standing

Not only does this release convicted criminals into the wild because they are better at killing than other criminals (yeah, it's those guys we wanna release, right?), you are completely ignoring the part where severe punishments do not deter serious crime beyond a fairly low saturation point.