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The McKelvy House Scholars invite the campus to join a dinner discussion on revenge Sunday evening, continuing their fall semester exploration of themes related to the “seven deadly sins.”
Dinner will begin 6 p.m. at McKelvy House, 200 High Street; no reservations are required. Led by Carina Fritsche ’07 (Columbia, Mo.), the discussion will start at 6:30 p.m.
“Revenge is vaguely defined as retaliation for wrongs suffered by an individual or a group,” says Fritsche, a Trustee Scholarship recipient pursuing a B.S. in chemical engineering and an A.B. with a major in international studies. “I’m interested in discussing the relationship between revenge and justice and the moral permissibility of committing acts of revenge. Here are some things for you to think about between now and Sunday:
-Are there differences between acts of justice and acts of revenge?
-If so, what’s the difference?
-Or is revenge just a form of justice?
-Do we feel the need to get revenge?
-Is the desire for revenge a good/bad/OK/necessary want?
-Under what circumstances is it OK for people to act on their vengeful feelings?”
She recommends the following web pages for background reading:
“Brain Study Shows Why Revenge is Sweet,” National Geographic
The Revenge Test (she scored a 20)
Francis Bacon on Revenge
Some quotes on revenge:
“Revenge is often like biting a dog because the dog bit you.”
–Austin O’Malley”
“Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.”
–Paul Gauguin
“That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing.”
–Martin Luther King Jr.
“In taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior.”
–Francis Bacon
“You cannot get ahead while you are getting even.”
–Dick Armey
“One good act of vengeance deserves another.”
–John Jefferson
“Revenge is an act of passion; vengeance of justice. Injuries are revenged; crimes are avenged.”
–Samuel Johnson
“Don’t get mad, get even.”
–Robert F. Kennedy
“Revenge is a kind of wild justice; which, the more man’s nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out.”
–Francis Bacon
Since 1962, the McKelvy House Scholars program has brought together Lafayette students with a wide range of majors and interests to reside in a historic off-campus house and share in intellectual and social activities. Sunday dinner discussions that engage the students in debate and exchange of ideas are the hallmark of the program; several Wednesday discussions have been added this school year. Most members also contribute to the annual McKelvy Papers, written on a topic of each person’s choice. McKelvy Scholars participate in activities together such as field trips to plays, concerts, and exhibits, and sponsor events for the campus as well.
Previous discussions:
Sept. 26 — Suicide
Sept. 22 – Sexual Lust
Sept. 15 — Envy
Sept. 12 – Themes from A Clockwork Orange
Sept. 8 – Materialism, satisfaction, and poverty
Sept. 5 — Obesity in America
2003-04:
April 25 — Anti-foundationalist critique of philosophy
April 18 – Dark humor
April 11 — Cults
April 4 — Link between ethical behavior and intelligence
March 28 — Five Images of Man
March 7 — Idealized body forms
Feb. 22 — Countercultures
Feb. 15 — Eternity
Feb. 8 — Bisexuality
Dec. 7 — Anger toward computers and technology
Nov. 9 — “Unnecessary” crimes
Nov. 2 — Genetic alteration
Oct. 26 — Social construction of gender
Oct. 19 — Greed as an economic force
Sept. 28 — Value