tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131329848327936557.comments2022-03-22T02:24:35.629-07:00It's Hard to Lose Something You Never HadAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16161475277846862076noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3131329848327936557.post-41070460117396260252012-12-31T03:14:24.930-08:002012-12-31T03:14:24.930-08:00One of modernity's axioms is that men are biol...One of modernity's axioms is that men are biologically conditioned to be aggressive/ violent. Testosterone, a hunting past, need for defending territory etc, etc, are among the things cited in support of this proposition. Let us assume that this is actually so. In which case, notwithstanding modernity's "better", "more rational" articulation, it seems likely that pre-modern cultures also knew about this bias in male hard wiring. Since both genders are necessary for the survival of the species it seems axiomatic that all human societies would therefore build into their structures measures to curb male predatoriness and violence, especially against the female of the species. Since all pre-modern societies were - by and large - behaviour centric (as contrasted with performance centric modernity), these measures must have aimed at preventing violence against women. Punishment ex post facto was considered a poor substitute for prevention in almost every aspect of life. While one may reject this propensity for per-emptive restraints as being unacceptable under modern conditions, there can be no gainsaying that punishment ex post facto is particularly ineffectual as a remedy in cases of sexual assault, rape etc. In other words, no amount of legislation can prevent rape. Not even the most effioient justice system is capable of catching/ punishing more than a small fraction of rapists. In other words, most rapists will continue to go scot free, irrespective of the changes that may be brought about - in the law and in policing - after the recent incident. <br /><br />Clearly, it does not make sense to rely solely upon the deterrent effect to prevent this most heinous of crimes. Yet, I see virtually no likelihood of any changes that would target behaviour and attitude. In the absence of such changes it seems to me as if the whole world, including women, mouth empty slogans knowing full well that very little will change.Ashokhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14978512135632535207noreply@blogger.com