For capital punishment to be really intimidating, human nature would have to be different; it would have to be as stable and serene as the law itself. But then human nature would be dead.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Capital punishment would only be truly frightening if human nature were as unchanging and calm as law, which would make humanity lifeless.
- In plain terms
- If people were as steady as law, punishment would be scary, but then people would be dead.
- What can you take from it?
- A system that removes human spontaneity loses its humanity.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What does it mean for law to be humane?
- Can punishment ever be truly deterrent without harming humanity?
Another view
It assumes a static human nature, ignoring cultural and personal change.
More from Albert Camus
Every ethic based on solitude implies the exercise of power.
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