Punishment and Justice

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Punishment and Justice
Introduction
Human societies have punished their offenders in the present and recorded history, each justification of the practice based on morality and rational grounds. The relationship between punishment and justice is often viewed from a traditional, utilitarian, deontological, or a mix of the three. Consequently, societies have always found a way to justify the imposition of punishment on wrongdoers. This phenomenon has existed for centuries; therefore, humans are constantly motivated to seek justice whenever they feel wronged. Civilization has forced societies to seek judgment from their governments instead of administering themselves. Therefore, there is a visible sense of societal frustration when the government fails or is biased in the administration of justice. This essay will focus on the phenomenon of social justice and its relationship to punishment in modern and ancient societies. "White Bear," an episode in season two of the Black Mirror, is used as a point of reference.
What is Justice?
Justice is a principle that advocates that each individual is deserving. The interpretation of what is deemed 'deserving' will vary based on the situation and the person involved. In social politics, the term justice guarantees everyone a sense of entitlement to vengeance. Therefore, it is no surprise that most justice systems are built on Consequentialism and retributivism. Consequentialism is a theory focused on the ethical aspect of societies which states that consequences for one's actions are the constant basis for judgment. Retributivism also takes this line of thinking as it advocates for the punishment of wrongdoers to offer retribution for the harm they caused.
Retributivism is the more aggressive approach to justice since its foundation is moral entitlement. It thrives as the product of a one-sided equation giving the offenders what they deserve. Often under retributivism, the discussion is always about the severity of punishment and not its existence. Proponents in making legal decisions will argue for and against making punishments harsher. Such an approach to criminal registration is dangerous and irresponsible since there is the potential of sadistic individuals enforcing harsh policies that have more drawbacks than benefits. "White Bear" shows how the administrator of justice, in this case, Baxter, is based on his merit for justice and punishment. To him, justice is served. Victoria gets to relive the same day of repeated torture. However, to sane individuals, these actions by Baxter are sadistic.
On the other hand, Consequentialism deals with the morality of right and wrong. From this perspective, a morally correct action has the highest chance of producing the best outcome. The theory can be broken up into two parts, utilitarianism and hedonism. Utilitarianism uses the "greatest good for the greatest number" standard to judge consequences. Hedonism believes that an action is good because the consequences are pleasurable and avoid pain. This approach is taken less seriously due to the potential of moral substitutability in most arguments. For instance, as a father, there is a moral responsibility to feed a child, and going home soon will he...