Why corporal punishment is wrong.
While many reasons can be cited, I believe it all boils down to one fundamental point: human imperfection. To be clear from the outset, I am opposed to corporal punishment.
To discuss corporal punishment, I will share two stories. One is based on the perspective that “a society that prohibits corporal punishment may actually increase the number of unhappy people.” The other is something I experienced myself.
The first story concerns a video I recently saw online, capturing a discussion among people who are managers or supervisors in the field labor industry.
Their argument was as follows:
“Young people entering this industry are often what you might call “rebellious” types—they don’t listen to what they’re told, get angry easily, and act impulsively. Many of these kids grew up in disadvantaged environments. They don’t think about what constitutes proper behavior or the consequences of their actions; instead, they act on pure emotion and impulse.”
“In the old days, foremen on the job site would sometimes use force to “discipline” such kids. As a result, they could guide the children to at least be able to do the work and live decently in society. The workplace seniors and bosses were acting as surrogate parents, doing the “discipline” that parents should have done.”
“But now, it’s become an era where such things are extremely difficult to do. But I want you to think about this. So where are those kids supposed to go?”
“I know many kids who had nowhere to turn in society, resorted to illegal part-time work, and ended up getting arrested or taken into custody. I want to say it again: How are kids like that supposed to live?”
I see, I thought. I wouldn’t deny that there are sights only visible to those facing the situation on the ground.
Next, I’ll tell you another story. This is something I actually experienced.
This concerns an elementary school student. At the time, I was being bullied and was assigned a role in a school music event that no one else wanted to do. Because of my developmental disability, playing instruments was extremely difficult for me. So, I was singled out for ‘individual instruction’ by the teacher in charge. Every day, I was summoned to the music room for ‘special training’ in playing. Every time I made a mistake, the teacher whipped whipped my thigh with a long ruler while I was wearing shorts.
My thigh was red and swollen, covered in raised welts. The emotions I felt at that moment aren’t vividly preserved in words, but I think they were probably a deep sense of misery toward myself and intense fear.
The reason I felt misery and fear wasn’t solely because of the violence itself.
It was because, in the process of justifying it with words like “guidance” and “good intentions,” I intuitively sensed—though I couldn’t fully understand it at the time—the uncontrollable excitement and distortion that must have been stirring within him. Mixed in there were emotions that should never be directed at a child.
I can still vividly recall the scene from that time. While the language isn’t clear, the images remain stored in my memory with high-definition clarity. This is probably not unique to me. I’ve heard that it’s quite common for people with developmental disabilities to remember events from decades ago with startling clarity, as if they were recorded on video.
I have absolutely no intention of reducing this personal experience to a narrative of “misfortune” (if I must use that word) or “tragedy” (if I must use that term). The one thing that is certain is that we humans, at this point in time, do not possess the means to completely prevent such things from happening.
No matter how admirable a person’s character may be, no matter how outstanding they may be, that character and that excellence are fleeting.
The onset of depression may stem from the cumulative stress of daily life, the loss of a partner, the effects of aging, shifting values, or what is often termed a “midlife crisis.” In any case, the triggers for depression are countless.
Even if someone is sincere and capable now, they cannot remain that way forever. That is my view of human nature. Therefore, I believe that to minimize unfortunate outcomes, establishing ethics and rules based on this premise is the best possible “struggle” humans can make at this point.
This way of thinking resembles the ideals and necessity of democracy. Winston Churchill, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II, left behind these words:
“Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.”
I think it’s a typically British way of speaking, full of irony. However, it’s a bit too literal and hard to understand, so let me paraphrase it in my own words:
“Democracy’s the worst, but it’s the only thing we’ve got. We just gotta put up with it.”
In reality, democracy is full of waste and problems. It’s obvious that it would be more efficient to abandon democracy altogether and grant dictatorial power to “excellent and sincere individuals” to run the government. That way, all social problems would be resolved instantly, and society’s happiness would surely rise before our very eyes.
But we’ve learned from history that this approach doesn’t work. Why? Because humans change.
Returning to the topic of corporal punishment, it is nearly impossible for modern humans to reliably exclude individuals unsuited for specific missions—such as those who resort to violence to satisfy their own ego, including selfish desires—during the selection process.
Even so, I have no answer as to whether a society that uses technology to mechanically and coldly screen out and eliminate such undesirable individuals is truly a utopia or a dystopia.
Therefore, I believe the current prevailing sentiment in Japan that “corporal punishment must absolutely not be permitted” can be described as “at least the best choice available at this point in time.”
I believe this shares a similar structure to acts considered clear crimes in our society, such as “murder.” In Japan, regardless of the circumstances, someone who kills another person is arrested and prosecuted. During this process, it is standard for the perpetrator’s rights to be restricted.
Of course, the “circumstances” or ‘background’ leading to killing someone are considered as mitigating factors, but the fact that “a person was killed” cannot be exempted from judgment under society’s rules.
This approach has many problems. Some might even think that a world where local rulers, like in pre-modern times, could decide with a “Well, under those circumstances, it can’t be helped. Fine. You are acquitted,” much like local authorities making case-by-case judgments might be more flexible and lead to greater happiness for people.
In any case, when considering the issue of corporal punishment,
I see in it the limitations that humans today are facing.
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