Re: Re Is the death penalty extropian?
Paul Hughes (planetp@aci.net)
Wed, 25 Nov 1998 19:02:05 -0800
Brian D Williams wrote:
> I am not hallucinating, nor have I inplied any such technology.
> The debt is paid with the murderer's life even thought it is of
> lesser value. I have no savage lust for vengeance, just a
> completely rational desire for justice.
>
> The victim is dead, but not forgotten. It is in his/her best
> interest, and ours, that justice is served.
Your still implying such a magical technology because you just re-stated
that killing the murderer is in the victims self-interest. I repeat,
how can a dead person have self-interest? You have failed to demonstrate
this.
> As I pointed out above, the debt cannot be repaid since the value
> of the murderers life is less than that of the victim. Yet justice
> demands he/she pay all they can.
'Justice'?!? I could just as easily say that justice demands that you
should die for speaking on a street corner. Certainly China views such
penalties as justice for those who buck the Party's dogma. You accept as
dogma that justice equals an 'eye for an eye'. I do not share your
definition of 'Justice'. Since when is justice written down in stone?
Why should I accept your definition over another? Imposing your sense
of justice over others is not a very 'just' thing to do.
> You choose to forget the victim, I chose rationally to forget the
> murderer.
How have I forgotten the victim? The victim is dead, but not
forgotten. You refuse to acknowledge that the victim is dead. The
majority of your argument is resting on the imaginary concept that
somehow we are helping the victim by killing their murderer. Are you
suggesting that we are helping them in the afterlife? If so, what proof
do you have that they live in this afterlife?
Paul Hughes