The morality of 'An eye for an eye'

[TheEvil]

The latest 'What Constitutes Evil' (hereafter known as WCE) thread has got me wondering:
What alignment best matches the 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth' approach to morality?

 

[der_kluge]

Arguably, I'd say either Chaotic Good, or Lawful Evil.
It kind of depends on what the laws allow.

But I think CG is technically defined as "eye for an eye".

 

[Timeboxer]

I'd go for Lawful Neutral, myself. "Lawful Evil" is more "I can certainly take your eye if, by the rules of the game, I can do it," whereas I think "Lawful Good" would be concerned more with justice or turning the other cheek. But the moral accounting inherent in "eye for an eye" -- "You have done me a wrong and thus I can do you a wrong to balance the moral books" -- strikes me as definitely Neutral. And the "eye for an eye" doctrine itself is Lawful, to me.

"Eye for an eye" also implies, to me, "If you leave me alone, I'll leave you alone as well."

So.

 

[Lasher Dragon]

What Amy said

 

[TheEvil]

Okay, go the poll working, please enter your votes.

 

[ARandomGod]

The latest 'What Constitutes Evil' (hereafter known as WCE) thread has got me wondering:
What alignment best matches the 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth' approach to morality?

Lawful Neutral

 

[Crothian]

I'd go with e neutrals...lawful implies following the laws and few laws support this. Laws usually have set punishments that may or may not fit the crime, but it is not eye for an eye.

 

[Lasher Dragon]

Ahhh, but in ancient days it often was "an eye for an eye", was it not?

 

[Stormborn]

Most certainly Lawful, and either Good or Neutral. Once you realize that "an eye for an eye" is meant to replace things like "A Head for an Eye" or the aristocratic "1 gp for an eye" you can begin to see that the system is intended to be fair and equitable regardless of rank or power. The peasent who is maimed by a lordling can expect justice and fair retribution or compensation for that, rather than a token fine or no justice at all, where as the high level PC or NPC whose friend was murdered in a bar fight can't just go out and slaughter the village of the offending party in retirbution.

Depending on the motivation behind that idea in a game world, an "eye for an eye" can be see of as Good, but Neutral seems safest. Certainly not Evil nor Chaotic.

 

[John Morrow]

I'd go for Lawful Neutral, myself.

I agree.