 Bertrand Russell Quotes 366 |
In short, rewards and punishments should be awarded according to the desirability of their social effects, and not according to some supposed absolute standard of merit or demerit. No doubt it will, as a rule, be wise to reward those whose conduct is socially desirable and punish those whose conduct is harmful, but exceptions are conceivable and are likely actually to occur from time to time. Such a conception of “justice” as underlies the belief in heaven and hell is not defensible if “right” conduct is that which promotes the satisfaction of desire.
Source: Bertrand Russell: Human Society in Ethics and Politics, (1954), chapter 7：sin
More info.:https://russell-j.com/cool/47T-0710.htm
The legal system in countries where monotheism prevails is felt as if it is based on "some sort of absolute standard of supposed advantages or disadvantages". This mindset and sentiment (the "right" action to promote the fulfillment of desires) is especially felt when speaking of sanctions against hostile nations and peoples. I don't know how many people in the U.S., Israel, etc. actually harbor the concept of "justice" as based on a belief in heaven and hell, but it seems that many people feel that way subjectively, even if they do not believe it as an objective fact. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
* Original in Japanese, translated with DeepL.com (free version)