why does Kierkegaard make the claim that he believes the police help aid criminals in not coming to repent?

Answer 1

Kierkegaard was often drawing parallels between the police and the clergy, and he sometimes seems to say very different things by them.

But I think we can do best with one of the prevailing themes of his works: Love of God is the OPPOSITE of love of the world.

In that sense, I think he would argue that police are a wonderful distraction from redemption. After all, what can a criminals really do if you took an eternal Christian viewpoint? Steal your irrelevant material possessions? Kill you and send you to Heaven? Rather than hunting such a person down as if he had removed something of value, perhaps a true Christian might thank him for his deeds!

And that's the point. Police help support the idea that jewels, society, and the like are of critical importance... an idea that Kierkegaard would say was completely untrue. At one point he argued that clergy should be more like police and less like teachers - men who ACT instead of instruct or theorize or merely talk instead of getting things done.

Police help criminals avoid redemption because police are enforcers in THIS world, and not the next. Kierkegaard would say that's the wrong world to worry about. At least, that's MY take on the man from various readings. Links below for further reference.

Answer 2

Sorry, I haven't read this part.
But let me answer in a broader sense: In this bi-polar universe of ours, all phenomena appear or are created in pairs. That means the moment something "good" comes into existence, or is so defined, its opposite comes into existence, as well. Applied to the question at hand ... the more police a state has, the more criminals it will also have, and vice-versa. It does not help to ask, what was there first. Both are sides of the same coin!
You will find this confirmed when you compare the relevant statistics of the United States and most countries in Europe.

Answer 3

lol - as an ex-con/student of philosophy i could kinda quote you chapter and verse on this!! criminal justice is a game played by psychologically damaged people on both sides....criminals sabotage themselves cos they're only playin out their childhood messages - cops etc. confirm their cages through repeatedly confirming their prejudices. there is very little between the two character types. to 'repent' you must understand your crime...no law-giver understands crime, they only understand repeating, and so justifying, their own childhood punishment/reward 'moral' systems.

when you are in the system there is no perspective - for you as con considering your crime...or from the warder who considers YOU - you are two sides of one coin. also = police do many omg not ok things that make an offender feel and think he is a victim 'of the system'.

sorry i haven't re-read kierkegaard - these were just my musings.