The broad effects which can be obtained by punishment in man and beast are the increase of fear, the sharpening of the sense of cunning, the mastery of the desires; so it is that punishment tames man, but does not make him 'better.'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Punishment makes people more fearful, clever, and controlled, but it does not improve their character.
- In plain terms
- Punishment sharpens fear and cunning but doesn't make someone better.
- What can you take from it?
- Control can be achieved without moral improvement.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Can fear truly lead to better behavior?
- What alternatives exist to punishment?
Another view
It ignores the possibility of genuine moral growth through positive means.
More from Friedrich Nietzsche
It is possible to imagine a society flushed with such a sense of power that it could afford to let its offenders go unpunished.
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