Why have humans moved more and more away from barbaric means of execution? Also, done away with torture altogether?

[Anonymous]

It wasn't too long ago that civilizations

across the globe possessed barbaric,
heinous, cruel, gory, and extreme manners
of killing people even for what many would
consider to be rather petty or insignificant
crimes.

Also, crimes in which execution or severe
punishment is not warranted like drug
usage, adultery, etc.
Today, it seems clear that the world as a
whole has moved away from these things.
But why? Have we gotten smarter?
Perhaps, those voices that were pro-
barbarism were eventually silenced out by
the prevailing minds of the common
sense? More intelligent? And more moral?

Updates

+1 y

Okay, so clarification.
I said “as a whole” in other words “generally speaking.”
This doesn’t mean that every person and every country that has ever existed is included.
It just means that the average of everything is pointing to a movement towards a certain direction.
GENERALLY SPEAKING.

Hope that addresses people bringing up individual incidents, points, countries, etc.

You can always find these, but again they do not disprove a general rule.

[HighlyVolatile]

I see it as a moral evolution. It doesn't take much to see that vengeful actions tend to cause more damage and little to no good. Even the most logical and ruthless mindset would see little point to causing a criminal to suffer the maximum before executing them; even devoid of merficul thoughts, it's a waste of time and energy.

The justice system is also always never perfect; sometimes innocent people are convicted of a crime they did not commit. At the very least a conscientious society would not risk torturing innocent people.

[HighlyVolatile]

Like so:
external-preview.redd.it/...iBJmi2HZO-EqWWxv8M.jpg
Many of us could probably benefit even for purely selfish reasons from better adhering to such advice.

[HighlyVolatile]

... err, like so:

[OlderAndWiser]

The idea that we are sentient beings leads some to the conclusion that we must behave in a way that distinguishes us from other animals. (Of course, when there is a discussion of homosexuality, we ar told that we should accept it in humans because it occurs in other mammalia species.) I think there is a revulsion among some over the notion that we are still animals and they want to generate proof to dispte that concusion.

[Daniela1982]

Maybe if we would hold people accountable for their crimes and actually execute those with a death sentence, these crimes might lesson. You would think if a person was going to be sawn in half, like in your illustration, people would surely think hard about committing crimes. Right now the death sentence means shit as people are more likely to die of disease on Death Row than being executed. So they get what amounts to a life sentence.

[FreyaRed]

Your suggestion is wrong. You haven't seen many videos from lynchings in Africa or gang executions in south America?

[Asker]

It’s not wrong when it’s alluding to a generality.

Of course, you can always find specific incidents to disprove anything.

[NathanDavis]

because it is beyond cruel... and also because it was mostly done by oppressive regimes, and the thing about those regimes is that they tend to last not so long...

leaders have found more efficient ways and means to control, so that's what they do instead

[Asker]

Unfortunately, these ways of executing and punishing people have existed in nearly all civilizations of the past and have lasted longer than what most might think.

Fortunately, progress has been made in this area, as well as other areas in life.

I don’t necessarily think society has gotten softer per se, rather, our more moral, intelligent, common sensical, expedient, and efficient minds have prevailed.

[Anonymous]

The world has not moved away from these things.

Corporal punishment is still practiced in many, many countries around the world. In parts of the Middle East they still stone people to death and chop off their heads. I’ve seen videos in Africa of villagers lynching a thief, tying him to a tree, beating him, and then setting him on fire.

Some of us have move away from punishments like these, and some of us have not.

[Asker]

You mentioned “villagers.”

I’m not necessarily talking about mob Justice, rather, more official or government sanctioned executions/punishments.

Generally speaking, I believe the world, specifically the governments and official bodies of nations have moved more away from the executions I’ve talked about.

Every single corner of the world? Of course not and I never said that.

[Fromdusktilldawn]

Thank god we moved away from that. Imagine you say the earth is round and for heresy the church saws you in half/puts you on the strappado/bois you alive or punishes you to scaphism.
Sadly we still have barbarism that occurs under religion, just google for Isis executions.

[Wester1967]

US practiced torture less than 20 years ago. It's in the Senate record. Thailand is one country where it happened. I wrote a book about the 2014 Military coup in Thailand and all the info is in that book

[Asker]

This topic always makes me think, would the US really tell us if they were still practicing torture? Or if they know about it, would they inform the American public?

What if certain sects of the government torture our enemies for the majority of information?

Certain sects meaning classified/special operations units.

How would we know?

Maybe it is in their best interest that the public thinks torture doesn’t really work.

[RagnarRedbeard]

The problem with Americans is that they think that America = the world.

Torture and medieval methods of execution still go on elsewhere in the world.

[England4eva]

I dunno, I guess we just found new ways to torture each other. Nowadays it’s subtle but more widespread 😞

[Atom999]

Cause if you can punish someone in such a way urself for them breaking a crime n think that it's okay for u to do it but not them, then... ur the real scum bag.

[jshm2]

The haven't. Have you not heard of guantanamo Bay, Abu Gharib and the American accent?

[SunnyCaliGirl]

Methods have changed over and over again though out history as well as values and ethics on human life

[OddBeMe]

This is really on your mind today. Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. Torture has never gained society anything but religious psychopathic behavior.

[exitseven]

Torture and executions are still done in a lot of places. We are not as civilized as you think.

[KrakenAttackin]

Because we have evolved torture by creating modern women and dating apps.

[EnglishEuropean]

We haven't done away with torture, we've just evolved more subtle methods.

[TommyMountainFigure]

You've obviously never been to Afghanistan then.

[Asker]

So, I understand that you can find examples disproving me but did you not see what I wrote about me saying that the general movement is AWAY from these methods.

Yes, you can find countries like Syria, Afghanistan, North Korea, and more that still live as if they are back centuries in the past but that doesn’t invalidate the general movement I’m referring to.

[TommyMountainFigure]

Civilisation has moved on. The countries you and I both know about though.. They never will!

[Asker]

Some places might never, but that can literally be applied to any topic.

Generally medicine has gotten better, as well as technology.

Can you find an island somewhere in the world that still thinks dragons are real?

Yes

[TommyMountainFigure]

Those 'some places' certainly add up when you think about it.

China, Pakistan, Virtually the whole middle east except Israel, Sudan, North Africa.. That isn't just a splattering of people. India too.. When I think about it, more than half the world still use corporal punishment. Heck even parts of the US still have the death penalty.

[josephinelcajon]

Awww the good old dark ages!

[CloudMassacre]

Guantanamo Bay

[Asker]

Generally speaking, there’s been a shift away from these cruel methods.

You can always find specific incidents but that doesn’t disprove a general rule.