Oscar Wilde's Wit and Wisdom

When we were back in the corridor and I had shut the sanitarium door, he exclaimed: 'Why didn't you let me stop those two dirty beasts?' 'Look, we've had a jolly time and those two will forget the pleasures of solitary vice once Doctor White introduces them to nice girls like Lucy!' I said, feeling generous to one and all in anticipation of frolics the next night. 'Well, I don't know about that,' said Pelham with a dubious note to his voice. 'Live and let live!' I said cheerily as we strolled back to our studies. 'Plato believed that punishment brought wisdom,' remarked Pelham somewhat pompously. 'Ah yes, and Aristotle viewed it as a kind of medicine,' I replied gaily. 'But then Oscar Wilde has written that punishment is often more brutalising than the crime-which I find difficult to believe,' said Pelham. 'I'm not so sure,' I said thoughtfully. 'Would it have made any difference if you had swished young Bell! I have grave doubts about that and you remember what Doctor White is always telling us. Mankind's efforts to enforce conformity in social morality has had a truly disastrous record of failure.' 'l suppose so, for it is true that no-one has yet devised a system of punishment that immunises society from evil or revolt.' 'So there you are. Good night, Pelham ...»