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Philosophy

Scripps Senior Theses

Theses/Dissertations

Retributivism

Publication Year

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities

A Criticism Of Retributivism: Identifying The Unavoidable And Undesirable Consequences Of Accepting Of Not Accepting “Ought Implies Can”, Samantha Bloomfield Jan 2022

A Criticism Of Retributivism: Identifying The Unavoidable And Undesirable Consequences Of Accepting Of Not Accepting “Ought Implies Can”, Samantha Bloomfield

Scripps Senior Theses

Retributivism makes two claims: the guilty deserve to be punished in proportion to their culpability, and the innocent deserve not to be punished. Through a discussion of our ineliminable susceptibility to luck, our inability to avoid epistemic fallibility, and the implications of either accepting or not accepting Ought Implies Can, I aim to identify retributivism as an inept moral theory.


The Impulse To Punish: A Critique Of Retributive Justice, Devika Agrawal Jan 2015

The Impulse To Punish: A Critique Of Retributive Justice, Devika Agrawal

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis explores the strength of the two major theories of punishment, consequentialism and retributivism. It also explores the two most critiqued systems of punishment in the world: The U.S and Norway. By presenting the idea that retributivism is the only plausible theory that can morally justify the U.S. penal practises, I argue against the theory by incorporating various objections delivered by Antony Duff, Michael Zimmerman, and Jeffrie Murphy. I then explore the question of what could possibly ground the Norwegian justice system, for the answer to this is crucial, if we hope to demand prison reform and tailor our …