Getting Even: Revenge As a Form of Justice

Throughout most early cultures, the first form of justice was revenge. When a wrong occurred, revenge was an acceptable, even encouraged way to find redress. However, contemporary Western society condemns revenge both legally and socially. There are still penalties for taking the law into your own hands. In Getting Even, Charles K. B. Barton challenges the notion that revenge is always wrong. He argues that revenge is personal retribution and that, like any other form of punishment, it can be both just and unjust. Framing the issue in the broadest context as a way to address the needs of victim, offender, and society, he offers a blueprint for improving the justice system and attaining a true resolution to crime. Barton makes a compelling case for implementing institutionalized revenge as a way of allowing victims to attain adequate material restitution, apology, and justice.