Description

Adam Smith is quoted as saying “Mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent.”  For someone to be harmed and for the perpetrator to not face any consequences implies that it was right for the perpetrator to harm the victim.  When there is no justice for a victim, the act may continue to impact the victim perpetually, which is torture.  The second part is inspired by a saying attributed to Confusius “If you return good for evil then what do you return good with?  Return good for good, and justice for evil.”  All people have the right to do as they please so long as what they do doesn’t interfere with the ability of others to do the same.  Therefore action that is right is action that does not impose on others and action that is wrong is action that imposes on others.  Because no one has the right to impose on anyone else, imposition is justified in the prevention and neutralization of imposition.  This includes justice, restoring a party to whole after they’ve been imposed upon, because the impact of an imposing act represents ongoing imposition.  If the tyrant (one who imposes on others) is not persuaded by right to not impose on others the only thing that will prevent him from acts of imposition is the consequence must be detrimental enough to his interest to make the impoing act not worth while.  If he is excused, he will continue to impose on others.  Mercy for the for the tyrant is not only torture to the victim, but it encourages the tyrant to continue to impose on others.