Thanks for that link... looks like that'll be an interesting group of essays.
Is mercy always unjust? It had never occurred to me to wonder, but it certainly seems a good question.
Perhaps one might say that justice is about actions, while mercy is about people. Justice may dictate that a person should be punished for his actions, while mercy points out that the person is more good than his actions indicate, and deserves less punishment. A cry for mercy is a cry to judge one by his true character, not by his actions.
Which would certainly justify the balance between them of which you speak.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-07 06:18 pm (UTC)Is mercy always unjust? It had never occurred to me to wonder, but it certainly seems a good question.
Perhaps one might say that justice is about actions, while mercy is about people. Justice may dictate that a person should be punished for his actions, while mercy points out that the person is more good than his actions indicate, and deserves less punishment. A cry for mercy is a cry to judge one by his true character, not by his actions.
Which would certainly justify the balance between them of which you speak.