Scenario: A genius surgeon who has saved hundreds of lives murders someone to cover up a mistake they made. Should s/he be sent to prison?

Poll - Total Votes: 5

Justice is saving hundreds, thousands of lives.

Justice is protecting society from a potential murderer

Justice is punishing the wicked

You can only vote on one answer.

What is justice in this scenario? Should s/he be put in prison for 20 to life? What is more important? Saving hundreds, thousands of lives; protecting society from a potential murderer (even though everyone is a potential murderer); or, punishing the wicked?

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CaptainCanadia · 41-45, M

There's a separate issue there - justice is about keeping society functioning in a healthy manner.

If people who are deemed 'important' to society using whatever metric you want, these people then become above the law. What it means is that the surgeon becomes a part of a privileged class who are free to murder others because they're too important to lose.

And the rules of who gets deemed important are set by people in power. They'd certainly use that power to put themselves above the law. Rule of law has to apply to everyone for a fair, equitable, and functioning society.

Tatsumi · 31-35, M

Don't we already have such a system? If one has money, they are already pretty much above the law. Look at O.J. Simpson. Or any of the old school gangsters or drug pushers who buy off people.

So, you would choose the deaths of thousands in the protection of potentially more?