This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
The object of punishment is, prevention from evil; it never can be made impulsive to good.
Evil | Good | Object | Punishment |
The laws of nature are just, but terrible. There is no weak mercy in them. Cause and consequence are inseparable and inevitable. The elements have no forbearance. The fire burns, the water drowns, the air consumes, the earth buries. And perhaps it would be well for our race if the punishment of crimes against the laws of man were as inevitable as the punishment of crimes against the laws of nature, were man as unerring in his judgments as nature.
Cause | Earth | Forbearance | Inevitable | Man | Mercy | Nature | Punishment | Race |
The object of punishment is prevention from evil; it never can be made impulsive to good.
Evil | Good | Object | Punishment |
The severest punishment suffered by a sensitive mind, for injury inflicted upon another, is the consciousness of having done it.
Consciousness | Mind | Punishment |
We cannot be guilty of a great act of uncharitableness than to interpret the afflictions which befall our neighbors, as punishment and judgments.
Punishment | Guilty |
There are two types of justice: retributive justice and distributive justice. Retributive justice requires punishment for wrongdoing in proportion to the magnitude of the crime... Distributive justice refers to the fair distribution of benefits and burdens in a society.
Crime | Justice | Punishment | Society |
Remorse is the punishment of crime; repentance, its expiation. The former appertains to a tormented conscience; the later to a soul changed for the better.
Better | Conscience | Crime | Punishment | Remorse | Repentance | Soul |
Maimonides, given name Moses ben Maimon or Moshe ben Maimon, known as "Rambam" NULL
From the moment an offending scholar receives his punishment, he is your brother. And it is proper the punishment be administered privately, not to diminish his dignity.
Dignity | Punishment | Scholar |
Cicero, fully Marcus Tullius Cicero, anglicized as Tully NULL
Let the punishment fit the offence.
Cicero, fully Marcus Tullius Cicero, anglicized as Tully NULL
Vicious habits are so great a stain to human nature, and so odious in themselves, that every person actuated by right reason would avoid them, though he were sure they; would be always concealed both from God and man, and had no future punishment entailed upon them.
Future | God | Human nature | Man | Nature | Punishment | Reason | Right | God |
Extraordinary afflictions are not always the punishment of extraordinary sins, but sometimes the trial of extraordinary graces. Sanctified afflictions are spiritual promotions.
Punishment | Trial |
The work of eradicating crimes is not by making punishment familiar, but formidable.
Punishment | Work |
Ovid, formally Publius Ovidius Naso NULL
It is a smaller thing to suffer punishment than to have deserved it.
The punishment suffered by the wise who refuse to take part in the government, is to live under the government of bad people.
Government | People | Punishment | Wise | Government |
Robert Ingersoll, fully Robert Green "Bob" Ingersoll
Happiness is not a reward - it is a consequence. Suffering is not a punishment - it is a result.
Punishment | Reward | Suffering |
This is the punishment of a liar: he is not believed, even when he speaks the truth.
Punishment | Truth |
A wounded conscience is often inflicted as a punishment for lack of true repentance; great is the difference betwixt a man’s being frightened at and humbled for his sins.
Conscience | Man | Punishment | Repentance |
Voltaire, pen name of François-Marie Arouet NULL
The punishment of criminals should be of use; when a man is hanged he is good for nothing.
Good | Man | Nothing | Punishment |