Are we forever the prisoner of our actions?
I listened to this TAL this morning (Heavens, I love that show...), it reports on a production of Act V of Hamlet put on by a group of prisoners in Missouri.
It stirred up some compelling musings- the first half of the episode focuses on the exceptional insight that convicted criminals have into the characters of Hamlet (murder, deceit, guilt, etc), but the second part explores the
"...but a person changes, I'm no longer the criminal I used to be...I know I'll never commit any crimes out there...but I took a man's life...do I deserve to be out there?"
I've been thinking about this a lot. What is a criminal, anyway? I've made mistakes, I've broken laws, does that make me a criminal? Most wouldn't categorize me as such, primarily because I've never gotten caught. Or, because the choices I've made haven't lead to significant harm to others.
Theoretically I believe in moral luck, but practically I have no idea how that translates into a functional society.
What is the humane response to an individual who makes bad life choices? To one who harms others? As a society, how do we protect ourselves from the mistakes of others?
