So this opinionated Ph.D. with a large attitude and a wannabe social media personality keeps appearing in my social media feed. I did google him, because I suspected him of being a culture wars personality.
Yeah. Well. He’s a bit of a narcissist is JBP. He corralled a Ph.D in psychology into a decent career before becoming a social media star with questionable views on everything. These are the more printable things that people on my FB profile have said:
“These days, he has abandoned any sense of academic neutrality, and will say and do anything that will get him money.”
“He’s a racist, sexist piece of shit who spreads incel lies”
“Personally, I wouldn’t bother consuming his stuff unless you want to join the culture wars.”
“He’s a total fascist moron.”
This ‘gobbit’ illustrates the flaws of short movies, like Tiktok, esp. when discussing complex issues like justice. If I took issue with his suggestion that a justice system removes the need to take revenge on a personal level, it would be that suggests that justice systems are about revenge.
They’are about far more than revenge. They are a core of a civilized society, in which people try to live together. Without justice, we could not live together as a society. But justice balances many pillars, not just an ‘eye for an eye’: fairness, equality, harmony, rehabilitation, punishment (not revenge), forgiveness, acceptance, … to name but a few.
I don’t disagree with his analysis of the dynamics involved, esp. in war or civil war or where there are ‘turf’ wars. But I disagree with his conclusion that justice is about revenge. Justice is about preventing revenge by playing to our higher selves. He should stick to psychology.