Revenge Versus Justice

In our world today, we are bearing witness to historic events that rightfully inflame and anger us. But this is a time when we need to keep a cool head, think and respond thoughtfully and not emotionally and to let things play out the way they are supposed to and to have faith in the legal outcome. I have put together a little essay, that I feel might bring clarity when you feel the need to lash out instead of behaving rationally. This is not meant as judgement. Just a reminder of our human frailty.

Throughout history the concept of “Revenge” and “Justice” often gets misconstrued and misused and are frequently used interchangeably. Almost becoming synonymous with each other. But they are two vastly different models and we need to be careful how we act on these two ideas.

Yet certain similarities between—and obscurities exist within these terms. Before delineating the chief distinctions that can usefully be made to separate them, let’s explore what some of these inconsistencies might be.

It would be convenient to advance the claim that justice is fair and revenge is not. But as the words “just revenge” suggest, revenge—depending on its underlying conditions, motivations, and execution—might be either just or unjust, fair or (frankly) outrageously out of proportion to the wrong originally done. There seems to be equivocality tightly woven into the term that’s less perceptible in the related concept of justice. All the same, the well-known phrase “miscarriage of justice” warns us to be careful about distinguishing between concepts that, finally, must be understood as both relative and subjective.

Although I think that the differences between revenge and justice listed below generally hold true, I’d point out that they are simplifications, so you’ll probably be able to think of some allowances. There are instances when revenge can legitimately be understood as a type of justice, and justice a kind of revenge. Moreover, as separate as I’ve tried to make each of the three categories below, a certain amount of resemblance and repetition has been unavoidable.

1. Revenge is primarily emotional, justice predominantly rational.

For the most part, revenge is mostly about “acting out” typically through violence. Revenge is a distinctly negative emotion. At its worst, it expresses a passionate uncontrollable need for bloodshed. As contradictory as it may seem, there’s actual pleasure experienced in revenge, there can be joy and satisfaction in causing others to suffer for the hurt they’ve caused the avenger, or self-perceived victim.

Justice as legally and ethically defined is not about getting even or experiencing spiteful joy. It is about making something wrong into something right. It is healing and attempts to “fix” something as opposed to destroying something. It is not about retaliation. Justice is unbiased and unemotional. Justice is selfless in that it relies on non-self-interested established law.

2. Revenge is, by nature, personal; justice is impersonal, impartial, and both a social and legal phenomenon.

The driving thrust behind revenge is to get even, to carry out private retaliation and/or to achieve what, subjectively, might be termed as personal justice. If the vengeance is successful, the party perceiving itself as gravely injured experiences tremendous personal gratification through the destruction of the other side, at the most or at least bringing them to their knees. The avenger feels justified (not just). Their impetus for revenge empowers them and they feel it is an action or feeling they are full entitled to

Alternatively, social justice is impersonal. It revolves around moral correction (the divinity in all of us) in situations where certain ethical and socially vital principles have been violated. When justice is effectively imposed, the distinct retributional benefits protects both the individual and society.

3. Revenge is an act of vindictiveness, justice, of vindication.

The intense effort to avenge oneself or others can easily corrupt and reduce the avenger’s status to becoming that of a perpetrator as opposed to the victim. Two wrongs never make a right. Never. Destroying another only ends up further destruction of oneself. Even if a semblance of justice might be seen to be served through an act of revenge, it could still be argued that there’s nothing particularly admirable or evolved in retaliating against a wrong by committing a similar wrong. It is the low road to justice.

- Julie O'Hara 2023

Thank you for reading my poem or article. Please feel free to subscribe to see more content and if you are moved to, please consider tipping. In addition, my books can be found at https: Julie O'Hara Bookshop