Married couples who quarrel bitterly every day may really need each other as deeply as those who appear to be desperately in love.
Edward AbbeyRead
The true, unacknowledged purpose of capital punishment is to inspire fear and awe -- fear and awe of the State.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Capital punishment serves to instill a sense of fear and respect for the authority of the State.
Edward Abbey suggests that the underlying purpose of capital punishment is not solely to punish or deter crime, but rather to reinforce the power and seriousness of the State. By invoking fear and awe, the State seeks to assert its dominance over individuals, thereby using extreme measures to maintain social order and control.
Themes
Capital PunishmentFearAweStateAuthority
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate on criminal justice reforms, this quote can highlight the implications of legal punishment.
More from Edward Abbey
All quotes βI love America because it is a confused, chaotic mess - and I hope we can keep it this way for at least another thousand years. The permissive society is the free society.
Edward AbbeyRead
If it's knowledge and wisdom you want, then seek out the company of those who do real work for an honest purpose.
Edward AbbeyRead
The earth is real. Only a fool, milking his cow, denies the cow's reality.
Edward AbbeyRead
I believe in nothing that I cannot touch, kiss, embrace.... The rest is only hearsay.
Edward AbbeyRead
Why can't we simply borrow what is useful to us from Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, especially Zen, as we borrow from Christianity, science, American Indian traditions and world literature in general, including philosophy, and let the rest go hang? Borrow what we need but rely principally upon our own senses, common sense and daily living experience.
Edward AbbeyRead
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