Eye for an Eye

Analysing the law of the talion an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth William Ian Miller presents an original meditation on the concept of pay back Miller s unique theory of justice offers redemption through retaliation espousing the view that revenge requires a deep commitment to balance in order to get even in a strict but fair manner As a result we find that much of what is assumed to be justice honour or respect is a way of providing this balance Moreover according to its biblical roots the laws of the talion imply that the value of an eye can only be matched with another eye suggesting that body parts are currency Applying this concept to the real world Miller looks at Shylock s pound of flesh bargain at blood oaths and at other societies and cultures comparing the ancient and supposedly more primitive with their modern counterparts Analyzing the law of the talion an eye for an eye tooth for a tooth literally William Ian Miller presents an original meditation on the concept of pay back Miller s unique theory of justice offers redemption via retaliation It espouses the view that revenge is a highly structured phenomenon that requires a deep commitment to balance in order to get even in a strict but fair manner As a result we find that much of what is assumed to be justice honor and respect is just a way of providing a means of balancing or measuring valuations Moreover according to its biblical roots the law of the talion implies that the value of an eye can only be matched with another eye suggesting that body parts are to be considered units of valuation Pursuing this further the talion seems to require such parts as a preferred means of payment Thus body parts have a justified claim not only as money but as the most valued type of payment as well by uniquely fulfilling the most demanding and thus most honorable means of compensation Applying this concept to the real world Miller argues that Shylock s pound of f