“The Moral Argument for Revenge” with Thane Rosenbaum

Thane Rosenbaum, 2011

Episode 80:
ORIGINALLY RECORDED JUNE 14, 2015

We’ve been told time and time again that revenge is wrong, but is it? We’ve been taught that it’s savage, but if so, why do people turn to it so frequently? And, we’ve been encouraged to demand justice, even though most of us can’t tell the difference between it and vengeance. On this episode of Why? Radio we’ll take a fresh look at one of the oldest practices in history, asking about the nature of revenge, honor, and the emotions that surround them both.

Thane Rosenbaum is an essayist, law professor, and author of the novels, How Sweet It Is!The Stranger Within Sarah SteinThe Golems of GothamSecond Hand Smoke, and Elijah Visible. His articles, reviews and essays appear frequently in the New York TimesWall Street JournalWashington PostHaaretzHuffington Post and Daily Beast, among other national publications. He moderates an annual series of discussions on culture, world events and politics at the 92nd Street Y called The Talk Show. He is a Senior Fellow at New York University School of Law where he directs the Forum on Law, Culture & Society. He is the author of Payback: The Case for Revenge and The Myth of Moral JusticeWhy Our Legal System Fails to Do What’s Right. He is the editor of the anthology, Law Lit, from Atticus Finch to “The Practice,”: A Collection of Great Writing about the Law. His forthcoming book is entitled The High Cost of Free Speech: Rethinking the First Amendment.

Thane’s website can be found at www.thanerosenbaum.com.

Thane appeared on Why? Radio a second time, listen to “Is Free Speech Worth It?” by clicking here.


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