Collective bodies cannot perform mercy, which only individuals can grant
Evidence
It is characteristic of this phenomenon that the state, although it can legally condemn the criminal, cannot pardon him; and even in republics, the right to pardon is usually reserved for exercise by particular individuals. — Georg Simmel, The Sociology of Georg Simmel, 5821
Categorization
Category: Contrarian or Surprising Claims
- DEFINE: Concretely illustrates the distinction between collective objectivity and individual subjectivity in a single sharp example.
- SEED: The impossibility of institutional pardon — states condemn but cannot forgive — is a provocative angle for an essay on why forgiveness is irreducibly personal.
Related
- Objective group rule proves beneficial only when subordinates need impartiality, not mercy (similarity 0.82)
Broader Connections
- Compassion fails when sufferers are collectivities rather than visible individuals
#exemplifies(0.85) — Georg Simmel, The Sociology of Georg Simmel, 5839