Honor and Revenge: A Theory of Punishment

This book proposes a new approach to the retributive theory of punishment, arguing that it should be understood in its traditional formulation that has been long forgotten or dismissed: that punishment is essentially a defense of the honor of the victim

This book addresses the problem of justifying the institution of criminal punishment. It examines the paradox of retribution: the fact that we cannot seem to reject the intuition that punishment is morally required, and yet we cannot (even after two thousand years of philosophical debate) find a morally legitimate basis for inflicting harm on wrongdoers. The book comes at a time when a new abolitionist movement has arisen, a movement that argues that we should give up the search for justification and accept that punishment is morally unjustifiable and should be discontinued immediately. This book, however, proposes a new approach to the retributive theory of punishment, arguing that it should be understood in its traditional formulation that has been long forgotten or dismissed: that punishment is essentially a defense of the honor of the victim. Properly understood, this can give us the possibility of a legitimate moral justification for the institution of punishment.

First book to expound a new theory that provides a rational foundation for the practice of punishment Provides a moral defense of revenge in a way never before attempted Gives a concise but systematic summary of the current state of the debate Is written at a level that is accessible to researchers and practitioners alike, avoiding technical philosophical jargon or abstruse issues in philosophy

Autorentext

Whitley R.P. Kaufman is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, USA. He is the author of two previous books, Justified Killing: The Paradox of Self-Defense and Honor and Revenge: A Theory of Punishment, as well as numerous articles on ethics, Just War theory, and law.

Inhalt

Chapter One: The Problem of Punishment.- Chapter Two: Punishment as Crime Prevention.- Chapter Three: Can Retributive Punishment Be Justified?.- Chapter Four: The Mixed Theory of Punishment.- Chapter Five: Retribution and Revenge.- Chapter Six: What Is The Purpose of Retribution?.- Chapter Seven: Making Sense of Honor.- Chapter Eight: Is Punishment Justified?.- Index.