Crime and Punishment Flashcards
What is justice?
Being fair and reasonable
What is a crime?
An illegal act which can be punished
What is punishment?
The imposition of a penalty for wrongdoing
What is protection?
A legal measure aimed at preserving another person’s rights and freedoms
What is retribution?
A punishment given as vengeance for a wrongdoing. The act of taking revenge
What is forgiveness?
To stop feeling angry or resentful towards a person for a wrongdoing
What is restorative justice?
Justice which tries to rehabilitate offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community
What is torture?
To inflict pain on someone as a punishment or in order to force them to do something
What are human rights?
The basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person eg right to life, freedom from torture, just trial
What is a fair trial?
A trial by a neutral court, conducted so it gives all people involved the rights required by law
What is trial by jury?
A trial in which someone is judged by a group of ordinary people chosen for the purpose (jury)
What is the greater good? Utilitarianism
Doing something that most likely will not only benefit the person doing it but many people
What is the death penalty?
Punishment by execution
What is capital punishment?
Punishment by execution
What do Buddhists understand by justice
Kamma: actions and the consequences of those actions. Unskilful actions lead to suffering and a poor rebirth. This could be seen as justice in action.
Buddhists do support justice systems also as a skilful way of dealing with crime.
5 precepts
to avoid harming any being
to avoid taking
to avoid sexual misconduct
to avoid intoxicants
to avoid wrong speech
Sila
ethics. For Buddhists this is following 5 precepts, right action, right speech right livelihood, applying compassion and loving kindness and acting mindfully and skilfully
Examples of bad people that changed in Buddhism
Angulimala
Milarepa
Why is forgiveness important for Buddhists
allows person to let go of anger and hatred, which would be harmful
Allows the other person to change
could lead to reconciliation
Allows a person to move on in a positive way
“ hate does not end with hate, but with love”
Easier if other person is remorseful
What do Buddhists understand by evil?
People are not born evil.
Evil actions are actions that are unskilful and based on 3 poisons and craving
“By oneself is evil done, by oneself is evil left undone”
How should Buddhists treat prisoners
1st precept: To avoid harm
“ All tremble at violence”
No torture
Given opportunity to reform and rehabilitate
Treated with kindness and compassion (Angulimala)
Fair trial
Vinaya Code
extra rules that monks have to follow on top of 5 precepts
Punishments for monks that break vinaya code
censureship, demotion, suspension
But if they show true remorse will be allowed back
