Eye for an Eye: A Downward Spiral

Allowing for a human tendency to commit acts of evil, the principle of punishment commensurate to crime, consistently applied, inevitably leads to a downward spiral of violence and retribution--a race to the bottom as the boundary of morally justified destruction shared by opposing actors can only move in one direction.

As a corollary, only principles of compassion and forgiveness can constrict the boundaries of human destruction. These are possible only if the victim of evil resists the temptation to adopt the principles of the aggressor to realize absolute justice (an 'eye for an eye'), and maintains adherence to her own principles.