Is an eye for an eye in any way a good basis for a legal code?

An interesting story. I think the event made international news, as well.

Justice demands justice and only mercy can overcome any penalty. Is it fair for a person to steal money and not repay it? Or can we excuse any kind of criminal activity against society or other humans without requiring some sort of retribution?

In my opinion, the eye-for-an-eye system is indeed uncivilized (barbarian referred to anyone who was not a citizen of Rome, not a culture). But at the same time, justice must demand that the victim be given full restitution of that which was taken if we are to remain a civilized society and not give in to unlawful chaos toward any and all. We might as well subscribe to vigilante justice.

So how would this victim receive retribution? Perhaps if the man who did this provided for her well being the rest of her natural life?

Somewhere along the line, we must start providing for the victims of crime, either through the work of the criminal, or as a drag on society (as is the case in Spain for this woman).

An "eye for an eye" has always meant the monetary value rather than a literal eye. Jewish law is very similar to laws of today. If an eye is injured accidentally, the compensation is much less than if it was done deliberately and with intent to blind.

. There are endless comparisons between the Hebrew Bible’s “eye for an eye” law (which has always been interpreted by the Jews to mean financial compensation rather than an eye itself) and Jesus’ magnanimous philosophy of “turn the other cheek.” It is undeniable that Judaism champions law above love, practice above faith, and religious service above theology and dogma, for which it has paid an enormous price in terms of popularity. Judaism maintains wholeheartedly that love without law is nothing more than meaningless sentimentalism, which will ultimately end in cruelty. As the popular saying goes, “He who is kind to those who are cruel will end up being cruel to those who are kind.”

…”Paul’s excoriation and condemnation of the law has directly influenced millions of people to see only oppression in the Torah.” “Judaism rejects these attacks. Law is the ultimate safeguard for love. The separation of law and religion has proved to be a great calamity for human civilization. First, it means that atrocities can be perpetrated in the name of God and no one can say that religious law forbids it. Furthermore, the Christian rejection of law as a religious discipline would guarantee religion’s divorce from the world and its realities. That religion has lost out to secularism as the mainstream guide to human life is a direct result of the detached role that religion began to play when Christianity abrogated the law. To say that religion cannot be about law is to say that religion is not designed to regulate human life!”

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach

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This is tough because I think in this instance it might just help women in Islamic countries attain better human rights if the men saw that their abuse will be met with punishment, instead of acceptance.

Normally I am against an "eye for an eye" justice.

I don't know how muslims see it, but the biblical "eye for an eye" is a practice of restraint, not revenge. It is NO MORE THAN an eye for an eye, NO MORE THAN a tooth for a tooth. You can't go and kill a man for punching you in the jaw, in other words.

Before you get too rammy, you'd better check your facts. The lex talionis is the basis for western law. It is the foundation for our belief that the punishment must fit the crime. And that's not a bad thing.

peace

An eye for an eye makes the world blind...

If you understood the code in context it would make sense. This was revolutionary in its time. The code called for restraint and reciprocity. One didn't kill for the lose of an eye. That was an unheard of idea at the time.

hell if someone threw acid at my eyes blinding me i would do a lot more than poke out one of his eyes believe me.I would want my own back just like if someone throws a punch at you, you would hit them back.

LOL

"I am not doing this* out of revenge, but rather so that the suffering I went through is not repeated."

*This being repeating what happened to her

The guy needs rehabilitation, not acid in his eyes

Also lolwut @ paying $25,000 to be legally considered equal to a guy

COME ON GUYS THAT IS SILLY

Absolutely not. And eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind.