an eye for an eye

/ɐn ˈaɪ fəɹən ˈaɪ/

/ɐn ˈaɪ fɚɹən ˈaɪ/

an eye for an eye

used to refer to the idea that a person who causes others pain and suffering, should suffer in the exact same way for justice to be honored

What is the origin of the idiom "an eye for an eye" and when to use it?

The idiom "an eye for an eye" comes from ancient legal codes like the Hammurabi Code, which date back to around 1754 BCE. These codes had a principle called "lex talionis," which means "law of retaliation." This principle said that if someone harmed another person, the punishment they received should match the harm they caused. For example, if someone took out someone else's eye, they would lose their own eye as punishment. This idea of equal punishment was later found in Jewish law too, as written in passages from the Bible. It often arises in discussions about justice, morality, or conflict resolution.

Examples

1. The survivor of a violent attack forgave their attacker, stating that an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind and choosing to break the cycle of violence rather than seek revenge.

2. By the way, today's illustration points out that an eye for an eye leaves the whole world monocular.

3. There has to be a middle ground between letting someone of the hook right away and going full an eye for an eye on them.

4. In retributive justice, things are a little bit different because if I say-- and Aquinas reflects on this, this is not a concern at all of Aristotle-- if I say an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, am I really establishing justice or am I just doubling the offense that has been perpetrated?