Types of Comfort in the Face of Undeserved Punishment Philosophy Essay
The definition of the concept of punishment and its practical application and justification over the past half century have shown a marked departure from efforts to reform and rehabilitate offenders in favor of retribution and incarceration. Punishment, in its conception, is now recognized as an inherently retributive practice. Punishment. Why we punish. Historically, the justification for punishing lawbreakers has been to “avenge the crime, protect society by imprisoning the criminal, deter that person and other potential offenders from committing crimes, and obtain reparations from the offender." Wolfgang, 1998. Many contemporary philosophers writing about punishment attempt to demonstrate that much of the debate between retributionists and utilitarians stems from the inability of both sides to clarify the concept of punishment. The writers are generally utilitarians who try to show that what is true in the theory of retaliation is just a matter. Arguments for. One of the strongest arguments made by supporters of the death penalty is that it is a unique and effective deterrent to murder. Although killing is generally immoral, certain types of killing are justified. These include murder in self-defense and in defense of other members of society. He said the punishment varies depending on the type of drug used and the number of offences. “If you are a first time offender for any type of drug, marijuana or any other substance, it is a ten day suspension, which is reduced to a five day period if you are in some type of treatment program that works with a The Consolation of Philosophy presents interpretive difficulties of a different order than the logical works or theological treatises. Unlike them, it is written in an extended literary form: it consists of a dialogue between Boethius, who is in his prison cell awaiting his execution, and a lady who personifies philosophy. a consensus norm in American law and culture. Yet America faces a scourge of mass incarceration, and many sanctions appear clearly undeserved, often going far beyond the culpability of the offender or the severity of an offense. Abraham Lincoln worried about hanging young Civil War deserters and then met his own abrupt end in the theater. Primo Levi survived and wrote about the Holocaust, but fell into depression and ruin. Abstract. This classic collection of essays, published for the first time, has had a lasting impact on academic and public debates about criminal liability and criminal punishment. Forty years later, its arguments are as powerful as ever. HLA Hart offers an alternative to retributive thinking about criminal punishment.