Cruelty

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Cruel redirects here. The sort of embroidery thread is correctly spelt crewel.

Cruelty can be described as indifference to suffering and even positive pleasure in inflicting it.

Cruel ways of inflicting suffering may involve violence, but violence is not necessary for an act to be cruel. For example, if another person is drowning and begging for help, and another person is able to help, but merely watches with disinterested amusement or pleasure, that person is being cruel — not violent.

Cruelty usually carries connotations of supremacy over a submissive or weaker force.

The term cruelty is often used with regard to the treatment of animals, children and prisoners. See: punishment, draconian, and cruel and unusual punishment. When cruelty to animals is discussed, it often refers to unnecessary suffering.

According to Friedrich Nietzsche, almost all higher culture comes from the spiritualization of cruelty.

[edit] See also

• Cruelty to animals
• Sacrifice
• Sadism
• Zoosadism
• Torture
• Violence
• Theatre of Cruelty

[edit] External Source

• Susan Sontag, Regarding the Pain of Others, (2003)

• Judith Shklar