PHIL 181: Philosophy and the Science of Human Nature with Prof. Tamar Gendler

Lecture 18 - Punishment II [March 24, 2011]

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Overview:

The lecture begins with a consideration of the traditional consequentialist account of punishment–-that punishment is justified by its deterrent effect on future crimes. Traditional criticisms of the view are presented, and John Rawls’ two-level justification for punishment is offered as one possible way to avoid such criticisms by bringing together consequentialist and deontological justifications of punishment in a single theory. Next, Professor Gendler reviews some empirical research on punishment intuitions, including data on moral outrage and the “Knobe effect”. The lecture concludes with a brief discussion of how moral luck interacts with intuitions about punishment.

Reading assignment:

Darley, “The Psychology of Compensatory and Retributive Justice”

Lewis, “The Punishment that Leaves Something to Chance”

Kazdin, Parenting the Defiant Child, Ch. 6 (pp. 126-146)

Resources:

Reading Guide 18 [PDF]

Directed Exercise 6 [PDF]

Credit List [PDF]