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<blockquote data-quote="Ethan N" data-source="post: 3229163" data-attributes="member: 29267"><p>That sounds nice and all. But would this be your response if I proposed the death penalty for all criminal convictions? If so, begone. If not, you admit there is room for discussion as to what constitutes “mercy” and what is unjust punishment, so your quotation only diverts from an intelligent conversation about where that line should be drawn.</p><p></p><p>And it’s worth pointing out that Adam Smith actually wrote “…mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent…”* in the context of making the point that after a criminal has been convicted but before sentencing, there is a tendency for some people to begin to pity him and lose the desire to punish him because he’s already been humbled by the criminal justice system (if not in his heart, then in practice) and he’s facing a punishment that grieves their growing compassion toward him in his newly humbled condition. So in this context, “mercy” means a failure to impose <em>any</em> significant punishment, and “the innocent” refers to society in general, not the specific victims of the crime. Invoking the ideas of one of the greatest philosophers in history can be a great way to contribute something significant to a conversation, but it helps if you understand what they were talking about first.</p><p></p><p>* This is a correct quote if my memory is not failing me, which it may be. I have a bunch of my belongings packed up in preparation for moving and don’t have a copy of Moral Sentiments accessible. I apologize if it’s not word for word.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ethan N, post: 3229163, member: 29267"] That sounds nice and all. But would this be your response if I proposed the death penalty for all criminal convictions? If so, begone. If not, you admit there is room for discussion as to what constitutes “mercy” and what is unjust punishment, so your quotation only diverts from an intelligent conversation about where that line should be drawn. And it’s worth pointing out that Adam Smith actually wrote “…mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent…”* in the context of making the point that after a criminal has been convicted but before sentencing, there is a tendency for some people to begin to pity him and lose the desire to punish him because he’s already been humbled by the criminal justice system (if not in his heart, then in practice) and he’s facing a punishment that grieves their growing compassion toward him in his newly humbled condition. So in this context, “mercy” means a failure to impose [I]any[/I] significant punishment, and “the innocent” refers to society in general, not the specific victims of the crime. Invoking the ideas of one of the greatest philosophers in history can be a great way to contribute something significant to a conversation, but it helps if you understand what they were talking about first. * This is a correct quote if my memory is not failing me, which it may be. I have a bunch of my belongings packed up in preparation for moving and don’t have a copy of Moral Sentiments accessible. I apologize if it’s not word for word. [/QUOTE]
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