Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share EP032_EN_Erinyes - the difference between justice and revenge
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
EP032_EN_Erinyes - the difference between justice and revenge
"889 Erynia" is a small main-belt asteroid discovered in 1918.
In mythology, the Erinyes—also known as the Furies in the Roman tradition—are primordial deities associated with the punishment of crimes. In particular, they pursue those who commit offenses against their own family, such as patricide or matricide. They were born from the blood of Uranus when he was mutilated by Cronus.
The Erinyes are among the most powerful and unsettling figures in Greek mythology: they embody divine vengeance and relentless justice.
Yet there is a profound difference between revenge and justice...
Revenge arises from a personal feeling; its aim is emotional compensation. It is often disproportionate or impulsive and not necessarily fair. It is essentially subjective: it concerns me and what has been done to me.
Justice, on the other hand, does not depend on emotions but on a moral principle or a higher order. Its purpose is to restore balance and order, and it is measured and necessary. It is fundamentally objective: it concerns what is right, not just how I feel.
View all episodes
By A. Carminati"889 Erynia" is a small main-belt asteroid discovered in 1918.
In mythology, the Erinyes—also known as the Furies in the Roman tradition—are primordial deities associated with the punishment of crimes. In particular, they pursue those who commit offenses against their own family, such as patricide or matricide. They were born from the blood of Uranus when he was mutilated by Cronus.
The Erinyes are among the most powerful and unsettling figures in Greek mythology: they embody divine vengeance and relentless justice.
Yet there is a profound difference between revenge and justice...
Revenge arises from a personal feeling; its aim is emotional compensation. It is often disproportionate or impulsive and not necessarily fair. It is essentially subjective: it concerns me and what has been done to me.
Justice, on the other hand, does not depend on emotions but on a moral principle or a higher order. Its purpose is to restore balance and order, and it is measured and necessary. It is fundamentally objective: it concerns what is right, not just how I feel.