What is the purpose of punishment?

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Velociraptor

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02 Apr 2012, 6:03 pm

It has been my opinion that trauma from prison and the stigma of going to prison makes people worse. I'd also like to see studies of what epigentic adaptions become prevalent in populations who have been imprisoned and their offspring. It is my opinion that reproduction passes on a degree of preparation to one's children so they will be prepared to live in a similar environment as their parents did. Where there is more trauma in a family, I imagine that children are born to be survivors in a cruel world and this might be why children of those who have been imprisoned are more likely to be imprisoned.

Prison=bad

I agree with the criminal system from the Venus project for the most part, but I don't think we need a resource based economy or that we should limit ourselves to living finite lives. We need a society that is based on immortality. If one has to live with their mistakes for an infinite lifetime I bet they won't want to do anything that gets them in trouble and will be more apt to seek long term solutions rather shooting someone for something they have forever to save for.

Picture this: You've been working for 100 years and have a very large investment portfolio that will continue to grow with you and your family for as long as we still use money. You want this Ferarri and you have the laser to take it from the other guy. Do you A) shoot him and take it, or B) keep saving and wait a few more decades to be able to afford it having some fun in the mean time???

Can anyone else imagine similar circumstances where immortality would keep criminals from committing crimes? Do you think people would be more willing to work out all of the problems they have in their lives with some sort of philosopher if they had the time to do it and never got too old to recover their lives?

ValentineWiggin
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02 Apr 2012, 6:14 pm

ArrantPariah wrote:

ruveyn wrote:

Punishment is for correction and deterrence.

ruveyn

That's what they say, but the real purpose is gratification.

"Hang 'em high" is the easiest, kneejerk response, and I used to favor that approach in the past.
But if one's idea of an efficient criminal justice system is one in which repeat offenses are rare,
it's clear the current system ain't workin'. It's incredibly-unsustainable, as well.

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ruveyn
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02 Apr 2012, 9:27 pm

ArrantPariah wrote:

ruveyn wrote:

Punishment is for correction and deterrence.

ruveyn

That's what they say, but the real purpose is gratification.

Let me restate the matter: Punishment ought to be for correction and deterrence. Inflicting pain on another for no good reason is sick and evil.

ruveyn

ArrantPariah
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03 Apr 2012, 9:06 am

ruveyn wrote:

ArrantPariah wrote:

ruveyn wrote:

Punishment is for correction and deterrence.

ruveyn

That's what they say, but the real purpose is gratification.

Let me restate the matter: Punishment ought to be for correction and deterrence. Inflicting pain on another for no good reason is sick and evil.

ruveyn

Stoning women to death for unchastity might do much to encourage chastity among society's ladies. Imprisoning large numbers of people for drug use might tend to correct and deter drug use. More than anything, it satisfies social needs to see someone punished.

Flogging a child with a paddle in front of his classmates might serve to correct his behaviour and deter his classmates from similiar behaviour. More than likely, his teacher has a child-spanking fetish, and will look for more reasons to get out the paddle.

The ancient Israelites had a quaint custom

Leviticus 16 wrote:

The community of Israel shall give Aaron two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. He shall offer a bull as a sacrifice to take away his own sins and those of his family. Then he shall take the two goats to the entrance of the Tent of the Lord's presence. There he shall draw lots, using two stones, one marked for the Lord and the other for Azazel. Aaron shall sacrifice the goat chosen by lot for the Lord and offer it as a sin offering. The goat chosen for Azazel shall be presented alive to the Lord and sent off into the desert to Azazel, in order to take away the sins of the people....

When Aaron has finished performing the ritual to purify the Most Holy Place, the rest of the Tent of the Lord's presence, and the altar, he shall present to the Lord the live goat chosen for Azazel. He shall put both of his hands on the goat's head and confess over it all the evils, sins, and rebellions of the people of Israel, and so transfer them to the goat's head. Then the goat is to be driven off into the desert by someone appointed to do it. The goat will carry all their sins away with him into some uninhabited land.

The entire community's sins could be transfered to a goat, who would take then away to some uninhabited land, thus leaving the people free from sin, and psychologically satisfied, without having to inflict punishment on any human. For Christians, Jesus serves as a personal scapegoat, thus relieving Christians of personal sin, and, in principle, compelling them to forgive the sins of others (without inflicting punishments upon them).

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Velociraptor

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03 Apr 2012, 9:34 am

I don't think it works that way. It's all about exiling people, not really animals. It was the early personification of animals. So they would take two people, one of them who had committed a sin and send him away telling him someone died for him. It's just another "guilt trip," wow I wonder why that phrase fits here so well. lol

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