by Joshua Cohen - undifferentiated
First published 2022
Legal and social philosophers have wrestled with a fundamental question for centuries: can society morally justify punishing lawbreakers? This collection brings together influential essays from Philosophy & Public Affairs that tackle this enduring debate. The first section examines broad justifications for punishment itself, featuring work by Jeffrie G. Murphy, Alan H. Goldman, Warren Quinn, C. S. Nino, and Jean Hampton. These scholars challenge existing theories and propose new frameworks for understanding when punishment becomes morally acceptable. The middle section turns to specific problems within established punishment theories, with contributions from Martha C. Nussbaum, Michael Davis, and A. John Simmons. The final section focuses on capital punishment, one of the most contentious philosophical issues of the modern era. David A. Conway, Jeffrey H. Reiman, Stephen Nathanson, and Ernest van den Haag debate whether the death penalty can ever be justified. Together, these essays offer both critiques of long-standing positions and original answers to fundamental questions about justice and moral authority.
Genres: philosophy, social-science, crime, non-fiction, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: debate, moral-dilemma
454 pages · Kindle Edition · Princeton University Press