RE: Atheist/Philosopher here.
October 2, 2010 at 6:50 am
(This post was last modified: October 2, 2010 at 6:54 am by Edwardo Piet.)
Punishment may indeed be better than no punishment as an effective method against a criminal. But surely no crime in the first place would have been ideal? Punishment still isn't a pleasant thing presuming 'desert' and 'free will' are fiction.
Condemning at times may be the best option. But surely it can never be ideal. Condemnation never having to be used in the first place is ideal.
I judge punishment as an evil because it causes suffering. It is of course a necessary evil though when it does more good than harm by being a deterrent. It's an effective means of discouraging a criminal's further offence and it also dissuades people from committing an offence in the first place.
Condemning at times may be the best option. But surely it can never be ideal. Condemnation never having to be used in the first place is ideal.
I judge punishment as an evil because it causes suffering. It is of course a necessary evil though when it does more good than harm by being a deterrent. It's an effective means of discouraging a criminal's further offence and it also dissuades people from committing an offence in the first place.
