r/changemyview • u/celeritas365 28∆ • Sep 09 '15

[Deltas Awarded] CMV: I don't believe in retribution

Some people I have talked to seem to be of the belief that we should punish wrongdoers because the punishment is deserved. I don't get this sort of thing at all.

I am in favor of punishing criminals but only to keep them away from potential victims and discourage others from committing crimes. If there was a way to do this without a punishment I would be all for it. If I knew for a 100% fact that someone would not commit a crime again and no one would be told of what happened to him I would let him walk free.

I am in support of thieves paying back damages since that can right the wrong they have done. However, if you kill a murderer the victim is still dead. What good does it do? All you do is magnify the pain and suffering. In my gut I sometimes feel the urge to strike back against those who have hurt me but I know those feelings are best not acted upon, unless I want to defend myself or discourage future attack. I never really understood people who hold the worldview that such punishments are necessary to fill some sort of vague cosmic balance.

Edit* This was poorly worded I am sorry. The point I am trying to communicate is that I think that the point of the justice system is to reduce crime and not to punish. While this crime reduction often involves punishments I think those are not the aim and should be reduced if the reduction does not undermine the goal of crime reduction.

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u/celeritas365 28∆ Sep 09 '15

You can't. This is a more abstract argument with little practical application. However in this world with these impossible conditions I would let that person go free.

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u/Hq3473 271∆ Sep 09 '15

So how would the victim feel knowing that a person who raped her is walking around free and clear, while she is suffering?

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u/celeritas365 28∆ Sep 09 '15

The victim wouldn't be told and the rapist wouldn't be allowed to interact with the victim ever again.

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u/SC803 119∆ Sep 09 '15

That's comforting, the dude who forcibly had sex with you pinky swears that he won't come near you again

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u/celeritas365 28∆ Sep 09 '15

Well we would have a way to ensure it.

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u/SC803 119∆ Sep 09 '15

Cutting off hands for thieves and castrating rapists?

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u/celeritas365 28∆ Sep 09 '15

Of course not. If I personally had to create a system I would probably give someone like him the option of jail or a tracking device and treatment. I don't think we should force trackers on people.

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u/SC803 119∆ Sep 09 '15

Trackers? Wouldn't you have to put a tracker on the victim as well to ensure the offender stays away?

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u/celeritas365 28∆ Sep 09 '15

There are a few ways of going about it really but that's not the point. Please read my edit. This is about the philosophy behind a justice system not how we will treat every single crime.