[Lenkapuppia]

How so? Punishment is meant to be a consequence, to be in place of other 'natural' consequences that might not work as well for society. There exists natural, societal, and other forms of physical consequences. Everywhere from touching a hot stove to getting mauled by bears.

As an example. If family A member kills family B member, then family B kills a family A member, and so on... we get barbarism. A continual feud that solves nothing.

If instead the state mets out consequences. Lets say sending the family A member to prison for a while, justice is served... family B members have no reason/need to act.

Additionally, many actions don't have the consequence right than, but might in the future. By giving negative reinforcement/'unnatural' consequences, we can discourage the actions to go.

As example, littering. It doesn't have a consequence right than, at least not much of one. But over time, as everyone litters, there is a lot of consequences, from beauty to health/etc. So the state mets out a consequence, to discourage this action.

Since physical consequences are natural. And the imposing of consequences as punishment or behavior modification by authority figures (either adult or government) is desirable (and necessary). Therefore physical punishment is not inherently philosophically, intellectually, or spiritually wrong.

The main reason why people don't like the death penalty isn't because it is physical and therefore wrong, it is because it doesn't allow for people to change themselves and far too often permanently ends things when the wrong person was tried and convicted (which is an error of justice).

JM