ON GUILT, RESPONSIBILITY AND PUNISHMENT

• NCJ Number: 27659
• Author(s): A ROSS
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 193 pages
• Sale Source: University of California Press
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS COLLECTION OF SIX ESSAYS DISCUSSES THE LEGAL CONCEPTS OF GUILT AND RESPONSIBILITY, COMPARES THEM TO THEIR MORAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL COUNTERPARTS, AND EXAMINES THE JUSTIFICATIONS FOR PUNISHMENT.

Abstract

IT IS ARGUED THAT RETRIBUTION CANNOT BY ITSELF BE AN AIM OF PUNISHMENT, AND THE AUTHOR CHALLENGES THE OPINION THAT DETERMINISM AS AN EXPLANATION OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR IS NECESSARILY INCONSISTENT WITH MORALITY. HE DEMONSTRATES THAT THE STATEMENT THAT 'COULD NOT HAVE ACTED OTHERWISE' CANNOT LOGICALLY BE EXTENDED TO INVALIDATE MORAL STATEMENTS ABOUT HIS BEHAVIOR. (ALL SIX ESSAYS WERE WRITTEN BY THE AUTHOR). AN INDEX IS PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)