It is a question whether, when we break a murderer on the wheel, we do not fall into the error a child makes when it hits the chair it has bumped into.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Punishing a murderer with extreme cruelty may make the punishers as morally flawed as the criminal they judge.
- In plain terms
- Violent punishment can corrupt the punisher just as much as the crime corrupts the criminal.
- What can you take from it?
- Avoid letting justice become as brutal as the crime it addresses.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Does the method of punishment reflect the value you place on human life?
- How do you distinguish between justice and vengeance?
Another view
Some argue that severe punishment is necessary to deter heinous crimes.
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