ReVEnGE
-Wikipedia-
Revenge (also vengeance, retribution, or vendetta
amongst others) consists primarily of retaliation against a person or
group in response to a perceived wrongdoing. Although many aspects of
revenge resemble or echo the concept of justice,
revenge usually has a more injurious than harmonious goal. The vengeful
wish consists of forcing the perceived wrongdoer to suffer the same
pain that they inflicted in the first place.
Definition
Revenge is a hotly-contested ethical issue in philosophy.
Some feel that, at the very least, the threat of revenge is necessary
to maintain a just society. In some societies, it is believed that the
injury inflicted in revenge should be greater than the original one, as
a punitive measure. The Old Testament philosophy of "an eye for an eye" (cf. Exodus 21:24) tried to limit the allowed damage, in order to avoid a vendetta
or series of violent acts that could spiral out of control—instead of
‘tenfold’ vengeance, there would be a simple ‘equality of suffering’.
Detractors argue that revenge is a simple logical fallacy, of the same design as "two wrongs make a right." Some Christians interpret Paul’s "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Romans 12:19, King James Version) to mean that only God
has the moral right to exact revenge. Indeed, every major religious
system contains some method for the mediation of disputes and for the
limitation of vengeance by imputing a sense of cosmic justice to
replace the often faulty justice systems of the world of men.
Of the psychological, moral, and cultural foundation for revenge, philosopher Martha Nussbaum
has written: "The primitive sense of the just—remarkably constant from
several ancient cultures to modern institutions…—starts from the notion
that a human life…is a vulnerable thing, a thing that can be invaded,
wounded, violated by another’s act in many ways. For this penetration,
the only remedy that seems appropriate is a counter invasion, equally
deliberate, equally grave. And to right the balance truly, the retribution must be exactly, strictly proportional
to the original encroachment. It differs from the original act only in
the sequence of time and in the fact that it is response rather than
original act—a fact frequently obscured if there is a long sequence of
acts and counteracts"
In history
In ancient societies, in particular those with weak central justice
systems, the method for deterring murder was to allow the victim’s
family to avenge the killing. However, if the families of the killer
and victim disagreed in their moral assessment of the killing, they
would most likely disagree as well in their assessment of any revenge
actions which were taken, and a blood feud might ensue.
Vendettas or ‘blood feuds’ are sequences of acts and counter-acts
motivated by revenge and carried out over long period of time by
familial or tribal groups in a quest for justice; they were an
important part of many pre-industrial societies, especially in the Mediterranean region, and still persist in some areas. During the Middle Ages,
most would not regard an insult or injury as settled until it was
avenged, or, at the least, paid for — hence, the extensive Anglo-Saxon
system of ‘wergild‘
(literally, ‘man-price’) payments, which placed a certain monetary
value upon certain acts of violence in an attempt to limit the spiral
of revenge by codifying the responsibility of a malefactor. The story
of Wimund the Bishop
illustrates the typical implacability of the time: its hero, though
blinded and imprisoned, would avenge himself against his enemies ‘if he
had even but the eye of a sparrow’.
In Japan’s feudal past, the Samurai
class upheld the honor of their family, clan, or their lord through the
practice of revenge killings, or ‘katakiuchi’. These killings could
also involve the relatives of an offender. Today, katakiuchi is most
often pursued by peaceful means, but revenge remains an important part
of Japanese culture.
The goal of some legal systems is limited to "just" revenge — in the fashion of the contrapasso punishments awaiting those consigned to Dante’s Inferno, some have attempted to turn the crime against the criminal, in clever and often gruesome ways.
Modern Western legal systems usually state as their goal the reform or re-education
of a convicted criminal. Even in these systems, however, society is
conceived of as the victim of a criminal’s actions, and the notion of
vengeance for such acts is an important part of the concept of justice
— a criminal ‘pays his debt to society’ evinced by countries such as
the United States continuing the practice of capital punishment.
Interestingly, psychologists have found that the thwarted psychological expectation of revenge may lead to issues of victimhood.
The first written appearance of the proverb "revenge is a dish best served cold" is often credited to the 18th century novel les Liaisons dangereuses,
but since it doesn’t actually appear in the original text, the validity
of this attribution is unclear. The phrase gained modern fame as a "Klingon proverb" in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
Constructive alternatives
While the urge to “get even” by hurting your opponent may be nearly
overwhelming, constructive alternatives often provide the greatest
lasting satisfaction. These alternatives include legal recourse, constructive revenge, forgiveness, and reconciliation[2].
Legal recourse relies on the state to determine the appropriate payment
for the offense. This can range from nothing when guilt is not proven
to death in the case of capital punishment. Constructive revenge is the
decision to better yourself so substantially that you clearly
demonstrate your status is superior to your adversary’s. This overcomes
the humiliation
that fuels your desire for revenge. Forgiveness is your unilateral
decision to let go of the hurt. Reconciliation is a step beyond
forgiveness and it requires a change within someone else;
reconciliation must be bilateral. Reconciliation requires that both
sides agree on the facts, the hurt, and the motivation, so that each
can understand the other’s point of view
September 5th, 2007 at 2:13 am
the dark side of mr.ian..may your force and your friends’ force be with you!!