Research
Embracing a Deweyan Approach to Punishment
Author:
Heather Lewis
Humboldt State University, US
Abstract
Kant’s retributive theory of punishment, resting on the notion of desert, i.e., deserved reward or punishment, assumes responsibility of the moral agent. On the contrary, a Deweyan approach to punishment does not assume responsibility, but rather, aims to cultivate it. These two different approaches ground two very different theories of punishment. In this essay, I compare these two divergent approaches, emphasizing their conflicting notions of what it means to treat criminals as moral agents. Ultimately, I demonstrate that moral responsibility is not to be assumed, but rather, is something to be cultivated. The point of punishment should not be to punish merely because one deserves to be punished, for upon investigation, the notion of desert proves fruitless. The point of punishment should be to morally cultivate.
How to Cite:
Lewis, H., 2015. Embracing a Deweyan Approach to Punishment. International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities, 7(2), pp.14 (102–109). DOI: http://doi.org/10.7710/2155-4838.1131
Published on
29 May 2015.
Peer Reviewed
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