An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth political compass


The Origins of the Political Compass

The political compass is a modern way of looking at politics. It is based on the belief that there are two basic types of political systems: those that seek to uphold the status quo and those that seek to change it. The political compass is a way of distinguishing between these two types of systems.

The Classical Origins of the Phrase

The phrase “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” is often used to describe the philosophy of retributive justice. This type of justice is based on the idea that when someone does something wrong, they should be punished in a way that is equal to the harm they have caused.

The phrase “an eye for an eye” is actually derived from the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, which was a set of laws written in cuneiform on a tablet that was discovered in 1901. These laws were created by King Hammurabi and date back to around 1772 BCE. The Code of Hammurabi includes the following passage:

“If a man puts out the eye of another man, they shall put out his eye.
If he breaks another man’s bone, they shall break his bone.”

This philosophy of retribution continued to be espoused by many cultures and religions over the centuries. In the Hebrew Bible, there is a famous passage in the Book of Leviticus that says:

“Whoever hurts his neighbor must be injured in return; fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.” (Leviticus 24:20)

The idea behind this philosophy is that when someone does something bad, they should suffer the same consequences as their victim. This type of justice was considered to be very fair and just because it ensured that people were only punished to the same extent as their crimes.

In recent years, however, there has been a shift away from this type of justice towards restorative justice, which focuses on repairing the harm caused by crime rather than simply punishing the perpetrators. This new approach has been adopted by many countries and international organizations, and it is slowly starting to replace retributive justice as the preferred method of dealing with crime.

The Modern Use of the Phrase

The most common modern use of the phrase is in reference to the political compass, a two-dimensional model used to categorize different political ideologies. The compass has two axes: one that runs from left to right, and one that runs from libertarian to authoritarian.

The left-right axis is derived from the French Revolution, where those who supported a more egalitarian society were on the left, and those who supported a more hierarchical society were on the right. The libertarian-authoritarian axis is derived from the work of German philosopher Hannah Arendt. In her book The Origins of Totalitarianism, Arendt argues that totalitarianism arises not from economic or social conditions, but from a desire by some people to have complete control over others.

The political compass has been used by many different organizations and individuals to map out their own ideologies and positions. Some notable examples include the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), The Economist, and Politico.

The Political Compass

The political compass is a two-dimensional space that is used to map out political beliefs. The x-axis is known as the economic axis and the y-axis is known as the social axis. The political compass can help you understand where you stand on the political spectrum.

The Left-Right Spectrum


The left–right political spectrum is a system of classifying political positions, ideologies and parties, from equality on the left to social hierarchy on the right.

Left-wing politics supports social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. It typically involves a concern for those in society whom its adherents perceive as disadvantaged relative to others (prioritarianism) as well as a belief that there are unjustified inequalities that need to be reduced or eliminated (squeezing the rich until they bleed Marxist philosophy).

The Economic Spectrum

The political compass is a way of thinking about the economic spectrum that can help you understand your own political views. The spectrum ranges from left to right, with the left being more economically progressive and the right being more economically conservative. There are also four quadrants:

-Left-wing: Those who believe in a more equal distribution of wealth and power.
-Right-wing: Those who believe in a less equal distribution of wealth and power.

  • Centralist: Those who believe in a moderate amount of wealth and power equality.
  • Libertarian: Those who believe in maximum freedom and minimal government intervention.
    The Social Spectrum

The political compass is a multi-dimensional model of political ideology that charts a person’s political views along two axes:

The horizontal axis (left to right) measures a person’s economic views, with left-wingers being more pro-worker and right-wingers being more pro-business.

The vertical axis (up and down) measures a person’s social views, with those higher up being more socially conservative and those lower down being more socially liberal.

How to Use the Political Compass

ThePolitical Compass is a political test that will help you find your place on the political spectrum. It is a simple test that only takes a few minutes to complete. You will be asked a series of questions about your political views. After you have answered all of the questions, you will be given a result that will place you on the Political Compass.

Plotting Your Position on the Compass


The “eye for an eye” political compass is a way of mapping out your political beliefs. It is based on the belief that there are two main types of political thought: those who believe in retribution and those who believe in rehabilitation. The compass has four quadrants: left, right, top, and bottom. Each quadrant represents a different view on how to deal with crime and punishment.

Left: The left quadrant believes in retribution. This means that they think people who commit crimes should be punished severely. They believe in using the death penalty and other harsh punishments as a way to prevent crime.

Right: The right quadrant believes in rehabilitation. This means that they think people who commit crimes should be given a second chance. They believe in using therapy and other forms of treatment as a way to prevent crime.

Top: The top quadrant believes in both retribution and rehabilitation. This means that they think people who commit crimes should be punished AND given a second chance. They believe in using both punishment and treatment as a way to prevent crime.

Bottom: The bottom quadrant believes in neither retribution nor rehabilitation. This means that they think people who commit crimes should not be punished or given a second chance. They believe in using neither punishment nor treatment as a way to prevent crime

Understanding the Political Compass


The political compass is a multi-dimensional political model used to categorize different political ideologies. The model was created by economist David Nolan in 1971 and has since been used by political scientists, economists, historians, sociologists, and others to better understand and explain the complexities of political ideologies.

The model is based on two axes: the economic axis and the social axis. The economic axis ranges from left-wing to right-wing, while the social axis ranges from libertarian to authoritarian. Each ideology falls somewhere on these two axes.

Here is a brief overview of some of the more common ideologies that fall on each side of the political compass:

Left-wing:
Left-wing ideologies are those that advocate for a more equal distribution of wealth and power. They tend to be more supportive of government intervention in the economy and favor expanded civil rights and liberties. Examples of left-wing ideologies include socialism, communism, progressivism, and social democracy.

Right-Wing:
Right-wing ideologies are those that advocate for a less equal distribution of wealth and power. They tend to be less supportive of government intervention in the economy and favor limited civil rights and liberties. Examples of right-wing ideologies include conservatism, libertarianism, classical liberalism, and fascism.

Libertarian:
Libertarianism is an ideology that advocates for individual liberty and limited government interference in both the economic and social spheres. Libertarians tend to be skeptical of both left-wing collectivism and right-wing authoritarianism.

The Advantages of the Political Compass

The Political Compass is a great way to see where you stand politically. It can help you better understand the issues and where you stand on them. The Compass can also help you find others who share your political views.

A More Nuanced View of Politics

The Political Compass is a two-dimensional model of political ideology that attempts to go beyond the traditional left-right spectrum. It was created by UK academics in 2001 and has since been used by schools, universities, and media outlets around the world as a way of understanding and explaining complex political ideologies.

The main advantage of the Political Compass is that it provides a more nuanced view of politics than the traditional left-right spectrum. For example, on the left-right spectrum, you might be considered “left-wing” if you support higher taxes on the wealthy and greater government involvement in the economy. But on the Political Compass, you could be considered “left-wing” if you support higher taxes on the wealthy AND greater government involvement in the economy, OR you could be considered “left-wing” if you only support higher taxes on the wealthy (but not necessarily greater government involvement in the economy). This allows for a more precise placement of where someone falls on the ideological spectrum.

In addition, the Political Compass can be used to map out positions on a wide range of issues, not just economic ones. For example, you could be considered “left-wing” on social issues like abortion and gay rights, but “right-wing” on economic issues like taxation and government spending. The Political Compass provides a way to map out these positions in a clear and concise manner.

Finally, the Political Compass can be used as a tool for political education. With its clear and concise explanation of complex political ideologies, it can help people to understand where they fall on the ideological spectrum and why they hold the beliefs they do. In turn, this understanding can lead to more informed and thoughtful discussion about politics.

A Tool for Understanding the World

A political compass is a fantastic tool for understanding the world and how it works. It can help you make sense of current affairs, understand the behaviour of governments and pressure groups, and predict future trends.

Here are just some of the benefits of using a political compass:

  • It can help you to understand the world: The political compass can be used to map out the positions of countries, governments, pressure groups and individuals on a range of issues. This can help you to understand why the world is the way it is, and how different actors interact with each other.
  • It can help you to make predictions: By understanding the positions of different actors on the political compass, you can start to predict how they will behave in future. This can be useful for everything from predicting election results to forecasting international conflicts.
  • It can help you to take action: The political compass can be a valuable tool for activists, allowing them to target their campaigns more effectively and pressure groups to operate more efficiently.

Whether you’re interested in politics or not, the political compass is a valuable tool for understanding the world around us.


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