PunishmentasaProblem
Theexpressionâtheproblemofpunishmentâisextraordinarilycommon;infact,it hasbecomeacliche ´ inthespecializedliterature.1 Insofaraswhateverelsepunishmentseekstodo,itseekstomakewrongdoerssuffer(bysomehowdiminishingtheir well-beingorbyvisitinguponthemsomethingtheydonotwant),itisimmediately obviousthatthereisindeedsomethingproblematicaboutit,somethinginneedof ajustiďŹcation.Understandably,muchhasbeenwrittenaboutpunishmentandits justiďŹcation.Inspiteoftheensuingvoluminousandunwieldyliterature,however, surprisinglylittleattentionhasbeenpaidtothediscussionofthe type ofproblemâor indeedofthe typesofproblems âthatpunishmentgenerates.
Theseproblemscanusefullybebrokendownintotwogeneraltypes:practicaland theoretical.Whenauthorsusetheexpressionâtheproblemofpunishmentâ(orits cognates),theyaboveallhaveinmindthesufferingbroughtaboutbythestate(or otherauthorities).Throughouthistorystateshaveoftenover-criminalizedâthatis, theyhavedeďŹnedaspunishableâfartoomanyactivities,andtheyhaveoverpunishedboththoseactivitiesthatshouldhavebeencriminalizedandthosethat shouldhavenot.2 Buttheextremestowhichmodern,conspicuouslydemocratic stateshavetakenover-criminalizationandover-punishmentareparticularlyworrying.CommentingontheUnitedStates,DouglasHusaknotes:â1 inevery 138
1 Compilingacomprehensivelistofallusesofthisexpressionisunnecessary.Afewrecentexamples shouldsufďŹce:âTheProblemofPunishmentâisthetitleofDavidBooninâs 2008 book(Cambridge: CambridgeUniversityPress),anditisthetitleofchaptersorsectionsinbooksbyJ.AngeloCorlett (ch. 3 ofhis ResponsibilityandPunishment,Dordrecht:Springer[2013]),byWhitleyR.P.Kaufman (ch. 1 ofhis HonorandRevenge:ATheoryofPunishment,Dordrecht:Springer[2012]),andby VictorTadros(ďŹrstsectionoftheďŹrstchapterinhis TheEndsofHarm:TheMoralFoundationof theCriminalLaw,Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress[2011]).
2 Forexample,almosttwomillenniaago,commentingonthe LexPapiaPoppaea,whichcriminalized (amongotherthings)notmarryingandnotprocreating,Tacituscomplained:â[W]herethecountry oncesufferedfromitsvices,itwasnowinperilfromitslaws.âFurther,reactingtotheâcountlessand complexstatutesâofhisday,Tacitusadded:â[W]henthestatewasmostcorrupt,lawsweremost abundant.âSeeTacitus, Annals(3 25) (JohnJackson,trans.),Cambridge,MA:HarvardUniversity Press(1931), 563
residentsisincarcerated.Anestimated 1 in 20 childrenbornintheUnitedStatesis destinedtoservetimeinastateorfederalprisonatsomepointinhislife.â Theâgrandtotalâofpeopleundersomeformofsupervisionoranotherbythe Americancriminaljusticesystemisastaggeringâover 7 million.â3
Byandlarge,ithasbeenthesesortsofpracticalproblemsthathaveattractedthe attentionofcontemporarypunishmenttheorists.Thisfocusmaypartlyexplainthe factthatâtheproblemofpunishmentâisoftentakentobeeitherexclusivelyor predominantlyâtheproblemof state punishment.â4 Thereisnodenyingthatthese practicalproblemsarebothpressinganddepressing.Butthisdoesnot,Ithink,justify thecomparativelylittleenergythathasbeenexpendedinaddressingthetheoretical problemofpunishment.Inthisbook,thus,Iattempttoshedmuchneededlighton thistheoreticalproblem.
Iammovedbytwoconvictions.First,Iamconvincedthattheexaminationof theoreticalproblems,ingeneral,isgenuinelyimportantinitself.Forexample, reďŹectingonhisownviewsinâACritiqueofUtilitarianism,âBernardWilliams remarked:â[T]heseconsiderationsdonotthemselvesgivesolutionstopractical dilemmas butIhopetheyhelptoprovideotherwaysofthinkingaboutthem.â5 Therecanbelittledoubtthat,say,Williamsâsviewthatutilitarianismisunableto copewithâthecomplexitiesofmoralthoughtâhasgreatlyadvancedthatgeneral debateâevenifithasnotsolvedanypracticalproblems.6 Myapproachinthisbook isverysimilarto,andinsomewaysinspiredby,Williamsâs,forIwilldefendtheview thatcontemporarypunishmenttheoryisunabletocopewiththecomplexityof moralthoughtandmorallife.Thus,asaďŹrstapproximationtomygoalshere,itcan besaidthatIseektodeploy,withinthespeciďŹccontextofpunishment,criticisms similartothosemoregeneralcriticismsWilliamsdeployedagainstbothutilitarianismandwhathecalledâthemoralitysystem.âSecond,Iamconvincedthatthe specializedliteratureonpunishmenthasreachedakindofstalemate(whichIwill explainshortly).Inlightofthisstalemate,theexaminationofthetheoretical problemssurroundingpunishmentmayinfacthelpusbetterunderstandâand
3 DouglasHusak, Overcriminalization:TheLimitsoftheCriminalLaw,Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress (2008), 4â5.SeealsoMarkusDirkDubber, VictimsintheWaronCrime:TheUseandAbuseofVictimsâ Rights,NewYork,NY:NewYorkUniversityPress(2002),andDavidCole,âTheTruthaboutOur PrisonCrisis,â TheNewYorkReviewofBooks 44, 11 (June 22, 2017): 29â31.Fortheinternational(mostly European)dimensionoftheseproblems,seeElenaLarrauri,âLaEconomĹ´aPolĹ´ticadelCastigo,â RevistaElectro ´ nicadeCienciaPenalyCriminolo´gica 6 (2009): 2â22
4 IhavecriticizedthisviewinLeoZaibert, PunishmentandRetribution,Aldershot:Ashgate(2006).
5 BernardWilliamsâACritiqueofUtilitarianism,âinJ.J.C.SmartandB.A.O.Williams, Utilitarianism:ForandAgainst,Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress(1973), 117.Consideranother eloquentexample:âThisbookisunabashedlydevotedtosolvingtheseproblems,thoughtoputitthat waysuggestsanincredible hubris onthepartoftheauthor,andmightalsomisleadthereaderinto thinkingthatthebookisintendedtoputtheseproblems,onceandforall,torest.Itwouldbejustas accuratetodescribethebookâsaimastoprovideawayofunderstandingâor,ifyoulike,interpretingâtheseproblems,âinSusanWolf, FreedomwithinReason,Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress(1990), 4
6 Williams,âACritique ,â 149
eventuallyevenhelpussolveâsomeofthosepracticalproblemsthathavehitherto monopolizedattention.Afullappreciationoftheimportanceoftheoverlooked theoreticalproblemwill,ofcourse,developslowly,asthebookprogresses.Fornow, anaccountofwhatthetheoreticalproblem is shallsufďŹce.
Wehavejustseentheessentialconceptualconnectionbetweenpunishmentand suffering(understoodverygenerally).Theotheressentialconceptualconnection worthourattentionlinkspunishmentand(perceived)wrongdoing.7 Theideaisthat bymakingwrongdoerssuffer, justice isachieved.Punishmentisthusimmediately revealedasgeneratingthetheoreticalproblemofhavingtobringjustice through suffering.Thereis,Iwillassume,obvious value indiminishingsufferingintheworld andobvious value inimpartingjustice.8 Byandlarge,IwillfocusononespeciďŹc typeofsuffering-diminutionâvariouslycalledforgiveness,mercy,leniency(etc.)âandononespeciďŹctypeofjustice-impartingâpunishment.Itisobvious,too,that thesevaluescanconďŹictwitheachother,independentlyofanypracticalproblems.
Theoreticallyspeaking,then,punishmentpresentsuswithamoraldilemma: WhichoftheseconďŹictingvaluesisweightier?Importantly,andincontradistinction tothevirtuallyuniversallyacceptedposition,Iwillnotassumethatthedilemma simplyevaporates,inthesenseofbeingfullyresolved,whenpunishmentistakento be(ornottakentobe) justiďŹed.TheexpressionâjustiďŹcationâ(andcognates), particularlyinthewaycontemporarypunishmenttheoristsuseit,isfartooimpoverishedtomatchthecomplexityofpunishmentandconcomitantphenomena. Thus,Iwillhereattempttoplacethediscussionofpunishmentinmuchcloser proximitytodiscussionsofmoraldilemmasingeneral.Iwillinfactsuggestthat punishmenttheoryhasdevelopedinremarkableisolationfromothergeneral advancesinmoralphilosophyâinparticularthoseassociatedwiththebudding specializedliteratureonmoraldilemmas.
Punishment,Iwillargue,presentsuswithpreciselythesortsoffamousquandaries generatedbyothermoraldilemmasâaboveallthoseassociatedwithforgivenessand relatedphenomena.Iwillevidentlyhavemuchmoretosayaboutforgivenesslater on,butIwouldatoncewishtosuggesttwoimportantfeaturesofmyunderstanding ofthisconcept.First,theessenceofforgivenessistheideaofadeliberaterefusalto punishâitisaformofsparing(deserved)sufferingthatismotivatedbya special moralreason.Second,whiletheideaofmercyisadmittedlymoregeneralthanthe ideaofforgiveness,Iwilltreatbothassynonymshere.Surelyonecouldshowmercy
7 Foreaseofexposition,Iwillhenceforthignoretheâperceivedâriderandassumethatperceived wrongdoingisalways correctly perceivedwrongdoing.
8 Idonotthinkthatthisassumptionisproblematic.Humansdotendtodisvaluebothgratuitous sufferingandobviousinjustice.Iwillnotengageinthisbookwiththosethoroughgoingformsof skepticism,fatalism,incompatibilism,ordeterminismthatcallintoquestionmoralresponsibilityin general.Notingthisassumptionwouldscarcelybenecessarywereitnotforthefactthatthereare inďŹuentialauthorswho,notwithstandingtheiroppositiontothesethoroughgoingformsofskepticism, defendformsoflimitedskepticismaimedspeciďŹcallyatthemoraldefensibility(ormetaphysical possibility)ofdeservedpunishment.
absentanywrongdoing:theâmercykillingâofapatientafďŹictedwithapainful terminaldiseaseisevidentlynotamatterofforgivingher;helpingsomeoneinneed maybeanactofmercy,but,again,itisnotamatterofforgivingher;etc.Butwhen authorstalkaboutmercywithinthecontextofpunishmenttheory,theyareoften talkingaboutwhatIamherecallingforgiveness:mercyinthiscontextmeansthe deliberatesparingofasufferingthatisdeservedasaresultofwrongdoing(again: basedonaspecialmoralreason).9 Thegeneral,age-oldtensionbetweenjusticeand mercyis,withinthespeciďŹccontextofourreactionstowrongdoing,thetension betweenpunishmentandforgiveness.
Inthischapter,Iwillbegintodelineatethecontoursofamorecomprehensiveâandmorecomplicatedâapproachtopunishment.IntheďŹrstsection,Iwillplacethe (theoretical)problemofpunishmentwithinthecontextofgeneraltheodicies.One importantgoalofdoingsoistohighlight,asIdoinSection 1.2,somecentral differencesbetweenaxiologicalanddeonticconsiderations.Althoughthesedifferencesareverywellknowninmoralphilosophyingeneral,theyaretypicallyoverlookedbycontemporarypunishmenttheoristsâtothedetrimentofthatparticular, specializedliterature.InSection 1.3,Isuggestanewwayofunderstandingthe centraldebateregardingthejustiďŹcationofpunishment:insteadoffocusingon thedistinctionbetweenretributivismandconsequentialism,weshouldfocusonthe distinctionbetweenmonisticandpluralisticjustiďŹcations.Thediscussionofthe differencesbetweentheaxiologicalandthedeonticontheonehandandofmonism andpluralismontheothersetsthestageforageneraldiscussion,inSection 1.4,of thenatureandstructureofthosemoraldilemmasthatIsuggestareverysimilarto punishmentandfromwhoseconsiderationthespecializedliteratureonpunishment standstobeneďŹt.WiththeseinitialpiecesmoreorlessinplaceâoratleastinsightâIconcludethechapterwithanoverviewoftheremainderofthebook.
1.1punishment,theodicies,andmeaning
Asplainasitisthatpunishmentseekstocausesuffering,itisalsoplainâifnot plainerâthatpunishmentisnottheonly,oreventhemain,sourceofsufferinginthe world.Theexistenceofsuffering ingeneral hasalwaysstoodinneedofanexplanation.Helpingustoovercome,toreduce,oratleasttocopewithsufferingingeneral isanessentialaspectofeverymajorcomprehensiveworldviewâfromthemost
9 InanauthoritativeentryonâForgivenessâinthe StanfordEncyclopediaofPhilosophy,PaulHughes documentedtheproximityofforgivenessandmercyâparticularlyofmercywithinthecontextof wrongdoing.SeePaulM.Hughes,âForgiveness,â TheStanfordEncyclopediaofPhilosophy (Winter 2016 edn.,EdwardN.Zalta,ed.),https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2016/entries/forgiveness/. AnewversionoftheentryâcoauthoredwithBrandonWarmkeâpreserves,inattenuatedform,this idea:https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2017/entries/forgiveness/.Acertainloosenessregarding thesetermsgoesbackforcenturies.SeeJohnM.CooperandJ.F.Procope ´ âsâIntroductionâto Senecaâs OnMercy intheir Seneca:MoralandPoliticalWritings,Cambridge:Cambridge UniversityPress(1995): 119â127
seculartothemostreligious.G.W.Leibnizcoinedaveryusefultermtorefer preciselytothesystematicefforttoexplainwhythereisevilintheworld:theodicy.10 Intheirtheisticversion,theodiciesseektoexplainwhyanallegedlybenevolentand omnipotentGodallowssufferingtoexist.Butseculartheodicies,asMaxWeberâs toweringworkunderscores,arealsoperfectlypossibleandilluminating.11 Human beings,independentlyoftheirreligiouscommitmentsandindependentlyoftheir differingdegreesofintellectualsophistication,havenaturallybeenattractedto theodiciessincelongbeforethetermwascoined.Tryingtomakesenseofthefact ofmiseryintheworldisanessentialpartofthehumanconditionâandthisiswhat theodiciesseektodo.
Thecentralquestionoftheodicycanbeposedinavarietyofways,andinthe previousparagraphIhaveinfactdeliberatelyphraseditusingthreedifferenttermsââsuffering,ââevil,âandâmiseryââpreciselyinordertohighlighttheirrelevance,for mypurposes,ofterminologicalminutiae.Wewellknowthemeaningofclaimsto theeffectthatpunishmentcausessuffering,andwewellknowwhatitistowonder whythereisevilormiseryintheworld.Investigatingtheprecisemeaningofthese termsmaybeanimportantandworthwhileprojectinsomecontexts,butnotinours. Thefundamentalquestionoftheodicycanbeexpressedverygenerally:Whydobad thingshappen?
Theexpressionâbadthingsâis,withinthecontextoftheodicies,necessarilyâand unproblematicallyâloose,anditisindeedconsistentwiththingsthatcauseâsuffering,âwithâmisery,âwiththingsthatcanbeconsideredâevil,âandwithahostof otherpossibledescriptions.Thosewhohavefelttheexistentialpullofthefundamentalquestionoftheodicyhavenothad,andhavenotneeded,anyprecise deďŹnitionoftheseterms.Infact,thisunproblematicloosenessregardingtheâbad thingsâofinteresttotheodiciesisconspicuous,too,inconnectiontotheâbad thingsâthatpunishmentissupposedtoinvolve.ThemostinďŹuentialcontemporary deďŹnitionofpunishment,theFlewâBennâHartdeďŹnition,clearlyexhibitsthis looseness:inHartâsownwords,punishmentâmustinvolvepainorotherconsequencesnormallyconsideredunpleasant.â12 Thesethingsânormallyconsidered unpleasantâinthedeďŹnitionofpunishmentevidentlyareamongtheâbadthingsâ ofconcerntotheodicies.
10 GottfriedWilhelmvonLeibniz, Theodicy:EssaysontheGoodnessofGod,theFreedomofMan,and theOriginofEvil (AustinFarrer,ed.),NewHaven,CT:YaleUniversityPress(1952).
11 MaxWeber, EconomyandSociety:AnOutlineofInterpretiveSociology (GuentherRoth,ed.), Berkeley,CA:UniversityofCaliforniaPress(1978).SeealsoFrederickNeuhouserâs Rousseauâs TheodicyofSelf-Love:Evil,Rationality,andtheDriveforRecognition,Oxford:OxfordUniversity Press(2008),wherehearguesthatRousseauisbestseenaspresentingaseculartheodicy(of amourpropre)thatisâmorepalatableâthanHegelâsseculartheodicy(4).
12 H.L.A.Hart, PunishmentandResponsibility:EssaysinthePhilosophyofLaw, 2ndedn.,Oxford: OxfordUniversityPress(2008), 4.WhileIhaveobjectedtoaspectsoftheFlewâBennâHartdeďŹnition ofpunishment,IďŹndthisloosenessunobjectionable.MyowndeďŹnitionofpunishmentrecognizes thatthepunisherwishessomethingtohappentothepunisheethatwouldâsomehowoffsetâtheâbad thingâthatshehasdone.Seemy PunishmentandRetribution, 31 ff.
Thefundamentalquestionoftheodicycanonlybemeaningfullyaskedon thebasisofassumingthetruthofanotherviewwherebytheworldwouldbe betteriffewerbadthingshappened.Ot herthingsequal,aworldwithless sufferinginitisbetterthanonewithmoresufferinginit.Andthenthe connectionbetweentheodiciesandpunishmenttheorybeginstoemerge,for punishmentinvolvesthedeliberatecreationofabadthingâsuffering.This confrontsuswiththeparticularlypoignantquestionaboutpunishment:while thefundamentalquestionoftheodicyingeneralinquiresaboutwhatreason couldbeadducedforthere being anysufferingintheworld(assuming,to repeat,thatlesssufferingisbetterthanmoresuffering),punishmenttheorists needtoexplainwhyitissometimesgoodtodeliberatelychooseto create more sufferingintheworld.
Assoonastheconnectionemerges,however,apotentialobjectionarisestoo. Theobjectionisthatpunishmentis essentially amatternotofinďŹictingsufferingbut ofsomethingelse:amatterofdenouncingsomeacts,educatingsociety,preventing orreallocatingharms,ordefendingourselvesoroursocieties.Ifthisobjection succeeded,theparticularquestionofpunishmentwouldloseatleastpartofits poignancyâforwhatwewouldbedeliberatelychoosingtodowhenwepunish wouldbetocausenotsufferingbutsomethingelse.Sufferingwouldbemerelyaside effect(althoughaperfectlyforeseeablesideeffect)ofwhatwe really choosetobring about:denunciation,education,prevention,defense,etc.
Buttheobjectionfails.Itfails,ďŹrstly,becauseoftheabusivelystipulative determinationofwhatexactlyitisthatwearechoosingtodo.IfI know thatmy choosingto Ď willcauseyousuffering(evenifthatisnotmymainordirect intention)âhowcompellingisittosaythatbychoosingto Ď Iamnot, eoipso, therebychoosingtocauseyousuffering?ThisisreminiscentofwhatPascalmocked astheâgrandmethodofdirectingtheintention.â13 But,secondly,theobjectionfails morefundamentallyaswell,asitevincesamisunderstandingofwhatpunishment itselfmustâonpainofincoherenceâmean.AsWittgenstein,amongmyriad others,hasputit:itisperfectlyâclearâthatjustasârewardmustbesomething acceptable[orpleasant],âpunishmentmustbeâsomethingunacceptable[or unpleasant].â14
Inanimportantarticlethatwilloccupymyattentionlateron(inChapter 5),John Tasioulasusefullytracesthegenealogyofapowerfulresponsetothisobjection. TasioulascitesWilliamsâspithyversionoftheresponse:
13 BlaisePascal,âTheProvincialLetters,âin WorksofPascal (O.W.Wight,ed.),NewYork,NY:Derby &Jackson(1859),Vol. 1., 231 andff.
14 LudwigWittgenstein, TractatusLogico-Philosophicus (C.K.Ogden,trans.),London:KeganPaul (1922), 88 (6 422).SeealsoLudwigWittgenstein, Notebooks 1914â1916 (G.H.vonWrightand G.E.M.Anscombe,eds.),NewYork,NY:Harper/Blackwell(1961), 78e.TheGermanterms translatedasâacceptableâandâunacceptableâbyOgdenandasâpleasantâandâunpleasantâbyvon WrightandAnscombeare Angenehmes and Unangenehmes.WhileIpreferthelattertranslation,this variationisusefulformypurposes:rewardsinvolvegoodthings,punishmentsbadthings.
Theideathattraditional,painful,punishmentsaresimplydenunciationsisincoherent,becauseitdoesnotexplain,withoutbeggingthequestion,whydenunciationshavetotaketheformofwhatNietzscheidentiďŹedastheconstantof punishment,âtheceremonyofpain.â15
WhateverspeciďŹcpunishmentsturnouttobe,16 totheextentthattheyremainforms ofpunishment,theywillnecessarilyhaveto(seekto)makethewrongdoersuffer. Thepointhereisinnowayspeciallylinkedtodenunciatoryorcommunicative theoriesofpunishmentinparticular.Thepointapplieswithequalforcetoany accountofpunishmentinwhichtheconceptualconnectionbetweenpunishment andsufferingisrejected.
Denunciatorytheoriesofpunishmentarebutanexampleofwhatinhis Theodicy Leibnizusefullycalledâmedicinalâpunishmentsâthosethatseekâtocorrectthe criminal,oratleasttoprovideanexampleforothers.â17 Rehabilitative,educative, preventive,ordefensiveapproachestopunishmentareallequallysusceptibleto Williamsâspoint,aslongastheselosesightofthefactthat,whenwepunish,anyof these(orother)goalsareachieved bymeansof makingwrongdoerssuffer. Conceptually,inďŹictingthissufferingisnotoptional:torefusetoinďŹictthissuffering (whetherornotthisrefusalentailsabandoningotherulteriorgoalsaswell)isto therebyrefusetopunish.Topunish,then,isto(tryto)inďŹictsuffering(orpainor miseryorabadthing,etc.)onsomeoneasaresponsetoherwrongdoing. PunishmentwithouttryingtoinďŹictsufferingislikegiftinganobjectwithout intendingtotransferanyrightoverthethinggiftedorlikefeedingsomeonewithout intendingtogivehersomenourishment.Thisisnotto abuse anydeďŹnition(inthe senseofHartâsfamousprotestation)18 âitismerelyto use one.
Leavingtheobjectionbehind,then,wecanreturntothepeculiarpoignancyof thequestionregardingthesufferingthatpunishmentcauses.Thereisplentyof sufferingintheworld:sufferingarisingfromtheinevitableclashesbetweenhuman vulnerabilitiesandthebruteforcesofnatureorfromhumanmaliceandcrueltyor
15 JohnTasioulas,âPunishmentandRepentance,â Philosophy 81 (2006): 279â322,at 287 ff.Tasioulas tracesthisviewtoHartand,viaWilliams,toNietzsche.Williams,however,doesnotgivecitationfor thepassageinNietzschetowhichherefers.MichelFoucaultstrikesmeasamoreappropriatesource fortheideaofaâceremonyofpain.âInhis DisciplineandPunish (NewYork,NY:Vintage[1995]),the ceremonialaspectsofstatepunishmentareacentralmotif,andFoucaultrepeatedlytalksaboutâthe ceremonyofpunishment,ââthepenalceremony,ââtheceremonyofpublictorture,ââtheceremonyof publicexecution,ââtheceremonyofpower.âFoucaultspeciďŹcallyusestheexpressionthatWilliams attributestoNietzsche,âtheceremonyofpain,âonpage 257
16 Onthevariabilityofacceptableformsofstatepunishment,seeMichelFoucault, Disciplineand Punish, andmyâJustifyingIncarceration,âin TheUniversalityofPunishment (AntonioIncampoand WojciechZelaniec,eds.),Bari:Cacucci(2015): 135â154.
17 Leibniz, Theodicy ..., 424â425.Ishallmakeampleuseofthetermâmedicinal,âinpreferenceofthe admittedlymuchmorewidespread(andperhapslessjarring)termâinstrumental.âIhavechosento reviveLeibnizâstermbecauseitseemshelpfulinstressingtheremarkableparallelbetweencertain viewsofpunishmentandmedicine.
18 Hart, PunishmentandResponsibility , 5 ff.
fromsheeraccidentsandbadluck.Buttopunishisto deliberately bringbadthings about,andthismaysuggestthatpunishmentis,initself,amatterofmakingthe worldworse,notbetter.Thisis,infact,exactlyJeremyBenthamâsextraordinarily inďŹuentialpositiononpunishment:â[P]unishmentinitselfisevil,âtowhichhe immediatelyaddsthatthereforeitshouldonlybeadmitted(ifatall)whenâit promisestoexcludesomegreaterevil.â19 Iwillargueatlengthlater(especiallyin Chapter 3)thattheBenthamitepositionisaswidespreadasitisdeďŹcient.20
CasesinwhichsufferingisdeliberatelyinďŹictedandthatdonotseemtomakethe worldworseareevidentlyeasytoimagine.TocontinuewiththeLeibnizianmotif, justconsideranymedicalinterventionthatcausessomesufferingbutislikelyto preventmuchgreatersuffering.Orconsideranycaseinwhichapersonoragroupof peopleismadetosufferinordertosparegreatersufferingtoalargergroupofpeople. TheseinďŹictionsofsufferingdonotreallymaketheworldworse,sincetheyarebest described,oncewebroadenthelensthroughwhichwelookatthem,asoverall diminutions ofsuffering.ManypopularjustiďŹcationsofpunishmentâsuchasthe already-mentionedBenthamiteutilitarianjustiďŹcationandtherehabilitative,educational,preventive,ordefensivejustiďŹcationsâcanbeseenasmedicinalin Leibnizâssense.ProponentsofthesejustiďŹcationsseethebadnessofthesuffering thatpunishmentbringsaboutascompensatedbythatbadnesswhich, exhypothesi, punishmentprevents.Andso,intheirview,punishmentactuallymakestheworld better,notworse.
Butsomehavearguedthatthereis,somehow,somethinggood,initself,aboutthe sufferingthatpunishmentinďŹicts,independentlyofwhetheritpreventsgreater suffering.Leibnizisoneexample;hisuseofthetermâmedicinalâinthiscontext isaput-down:â[T]rueretributivejustice,âhetellsus,goesâbecauseit ought togoââbeyondthemedicinal.â21 TheâharmonyofthingsâthatisessentialtoLeibnizâs theodicydemandsâevilintheformofsuffering.â22 IfthemedicinaljustiďŹcations werethewholestory,thenpunishmentwouldnotreallycontributemuchtothe problemofsuffering,foritwouldbeplainthatthesufferingitgeneratesisjust necessarytoavoidgreatersuffering.Wewouldsimplyneedtoensurethatour calculationsarecorrect.ThemedicinalapproachâsoinďŹuentialnowadays,as Iwillargueâ reduces therealanddeepmoralandpoliticalproblemsassociated withpunishmenttomereâtechnologicalâones,toechoIsaiahBerlinâsinsightful deploymentofthisterm,itselfreminiscentofLeibnizâsdeploymentoftheterm
19 JeremyBentham,âAnIntroductiontothePrinciplesofMoralsandLegislation,âin TheWorksof JeremyBentham (JohnBowring,ed.),Vol. 1,NewYork,NY:Russell&Russell(1962), 83
20 Importantly(althoughalsoinaccordancewithstandardusage),unlessotherwisenoted,Iwilluse âBenthamiteutilitarianism,ââclassicalutilitarianism,ââhedonisticutilitarianism,â and âutilitarianismâinterchangeably.SeeJohnRawls, ATheoryofJustice,rev.ed.,Cambridge,MA:Harvard UniversityPress(1992),especially 19â24;andJuliaDriver,âTheHistoryofUtilitarianism,â TheStanfordEncyclopediaofPhilosophy (Winter 2014 Edition)(EdwardN.Zalta,ed.):http://plato .stanford.edu/archives/win2014/entries/utilitarianism-history.
21 Leibniz, Theodicy , 425 22 Ibid
âmedicinal.â23 Leibnizâalongwithmyriadotherthinkersâbelievesthisistoo reductionistbecausethesufferingconstitutiveofpunishmentissometimes intrinsically good,evenifitdoesnotcontributetoreducingfurthersuffering. That problemâi.e.,howpunishmentcanbeinthiswayintrinsicallygoodâistheserious, non-medicinal,non-technologicalproblemworthourattention.
Often,however,theodiciesâparticularlysometheistictheodiciesâattemptto solvethisprobleminsuspectways,byascribinginscrutablewisdomtoGod.So,for example,acommonmoveinthesetheodiciesâincluding,inaway,LeibnizâsownâistosuggestthatGod,beingnotonlyall-goodbutalsoall-knowing,knowsthatthe sufferingintheworldthatstrikesusasexcessiveisinfactoptimal.Thingsaretaken tobeinterconnectedinwaysthatmereďŹnitebeingscannotunderstand:attemptsto âeliminateâthisorthatepisodeofsufferingintheworldwouldhaveproducedeven moresufferingâandGod,unlikeus,knowsthis.Asidefromtheirobscurantism, theseapproachesmayperhapsbeguiltyofsimply transferring thereductive approach:itisnothumansthatdothenumbercrunchingbutGodâitisjustthat Godâscalculationsaretoocomplicatedforus.Godwouldunderstandhowthe medicineisindeedmedicine,howthetechnologyoperates,butthereductionism could stillbethere,onlyhiddenfromus.Opponentsofthereductionistapproach wouldobjecttomeretransfers:theywouldwanttoensurethatreductionismis clearlyrejected.
Seculartheodiciesfarebetter,astheytendtoemphasizethattheproblemof theodicyistheproblemof meaningful existence;itistheproblemof makingsense of aworldthat,asWebernoted,isďŹlledwithâundeservedsuffering,unpunished injustice,andincorrigiblestupidity.â24 Forobviousreasons,Iwillhereignorethe problemofincorrigiblestupidity;butthetwinproblemsofundeservedsufferingand ofunpunishedinjusticeare,justasobviously,centraltomyaimsinthisbook.
ItisimportanttounderscorethataccordingtoWebersufferingisreallyaproblem forseculartheodiciesonlywhenitisnotdeserved,andinjusticesaremoreof aproblemwhentheyarenotpunished.Thesetwoproblemsarenotmerely calculative,medicinal,ortechnological:aworldinwhichvicewascommonly rewardedandvirtuecommonlypunishedwouldbeproblematic evenif itcouldbe shownthatitcontainedtheminimumamountofsufferingpossible.Anditwouldbe problematic,ďŹrstandforemost,becausethisstateofaffairswouldstrikeusas existentially meaningless.AsWeberputit,âtheneedforanethicalinterpretation oftheâmeaningâofthedistributionsoffortunesamongmenincreasedwiththe growingrationalityofconceptionsoftheworld.â25
23 IsaiahBerlin,âTwoConceptsofLiberty,âin Liberty (HenryHardy,ed.),Oxford:OxfordUniversity Press(2002), 167
24 MaxWeber,âPoliticsasaVocation,âinPeterLassmanandRonaldSpeirs(eds.), Weber:Political Writings,Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress(1994), 362.
25 H.H.GerthandC.WrightMills, FromMaxWeber:EssaysinSociology,NewYork,NY:Oxford UniversityPress(1946), 275
Thissearchformeaningintheworldisparticularlyurgentinthefaceofwhat Webercalledâtheincongruitybetweendestinyandmerit.â26 GershonShaďŹrâs insightfulinterpretationofwhatâdestinyâandâmeritâmeanforWeberisilluminating.WithShaďŹr,wecanseethatWeberunderstandsâdestinyâastheworldview accordingtowhichthedistributionofsufferingintheworldisdisordered,arbitrary, andrandomâand thereby meaningless.âMerit,âincontrast,isforWeberrelatedto aworldviewaccordingtowhichthedistributionofsufferingintheworldissomehow âorderedââand thereby meaningful.27 WithWeberandShaďŹr,weseethathumans cancreatemeaninginanotherwisemeaninglessworldbyâinfusingitwith arationalizedethicâsoastomakeâmeritanddestinycoincide.â28
Andwecanthensee,too,thereasonforthepejorativesenseinwhichLeibnizuses thetermâmedicinalâtorefertosomejustiďŹcationsofpunishment.AsShaďŹr remindsus,Weberalsohad(inthiscontext)anegativeviewofthemedicinal,for althoughmedicineâiscapableofdiminishingsuffering,ââthepointofviewof medicineâisâitselfmeaningless.â29 Needlesstosay,thisisnotsupposedtobean attackonmedicineassuchoronanyothertechnologicalmechanismthatseeksto reducesuffering.Rather,itisbothacriticismofthestrategyof reducing theworldof valuetomeremedicine,tomeretechnology,andareminderoftherelatively tenuousconnectionbetweenmedicinalstrategiesandthelargerstoryconcerning therelationbetweenpunishmentandthemeaningoflife.
Thefactthat,onthisview,distributionsaccordingto merit suffusetheworldwith meaningshallbeveryimportantintheremainderofthebook.Admittedly,meritis nottheonlymeansofinfusingmeaningintotheworldâthoughitsurelyisone importantsuchmeans.30 Tomeritsomethingmeanstodeservesomething;oneâs meritisoneâsdesert.Thattheseexpressionsareindeedsynonymousisbroughtoutby thefactthatinsomelanguagestheresimplyisnowordforâdesertâotherthan âmerit,âinthesensethattotranslatetheEnglishpropositionthatâshedeservesXâ onewouldinthoseotherlanguageshavetosayâshemeritsX.â31 Theimportanceof meritâreďŹectednotonlyinLeibnizandWeberbutalsoinmanyotherthinkerswho
26 Ibid.
27 GershonShaďŹr,âTheIncongruitybetweenDestinyandMerit:MaxWeberonMeaningful ExistenceandModernity,â TheBritishJournalofSociology 36.4 (1985): 516â530.
28 Ibid., 521 29 Ibid., 524
30 In TheBookofJobinMedievalJewishThought (Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress[2004]),RobertEisen suggeststhatprominentamongthereasonswhy Job hasremainedsofascinatingthroughtheagesis thatitdealswithâoneofhumanityâsdeepestandmostvexingproblems.âThisproblemisnoneother thanâthesufferingoftherighteousââi.e.,theproblemof undeserved suffering(ibid., 3).Jobâs protestationsarepredicatedonthefactthathe(rightly)considershimselfundeservingofsuffering. Inmanyinterpretations(illuminatinglydiscussedbyEisen)JobcomestoacceptthatGodâsdecision toinďŹictundeservedsufferingupontherighteousinorderto testtheirdevotion isanothermeansto infusemeaningintotheworld.Oneneednotagreewiththisothermeansinordertoseethat Job is centrallyconcernedwithďŹndingmeaninginsuffering.
31 ThisisexplicitlythecaseatleastinSpanishandotherRomancelanguages.Comparisonsbetween âordinaryâwaysofsayingthingsindifferentlanguagesrevealsobviousâthoughoverlookedâproblemsforversionsoftheâordinarylanguageâapproachtophilosophy.Notthattheintimate
havewrittenaboutmoralityandthemeaningoflifeâisundeniable.Andyetmanyof theablestcontemporaryphilosophersdoubt(ordeny)theimportanceofdesert (merit)inaffectingthewaywereacttothepossibilityofinďŹictingsuffering.
LeibnizandWeber,then,donotďŹndsuffering assuch sophilosophically problematic:itisspeciďŹcally undeserved sufferingthattheyconsidermeaningless andthereforedeeplyproblematic.32 Notonlyaretheseauthorsbynomeansalonein holdingthisposition,butifWeberâstoweringandwide-ranginghistoricaland sociologicalinvestigationsarecorrect,thisisâandhasalwaysbeenâthetypical positionofordinaryfolk.Thatiswhymanyhaveseenthequintessentially human urgetomakesenseof(meaningless)sufferingasâapsychological,ratherthan adeontic[ornormative]claim.â33
Inthenextchapter,Iwillhavemuchmoretosayabouthowdesertconfers(nonmedicinal)meaningtosuffering.ButletusďŹrsttakestockofwhatisclearalready: punishmentisincoherentwithoutitbeinganattempttoinďŹictsuffering,and (undeserved)sufferingisthemainproblemthatgivesrisetotheodicies.Inlightof thesefacts,thescarcityofsystematiceffortstoplacetheproblemofpunishment withintheframeworkoftheodiciesisstartling.SeekingtoďŹllthisgapisalready areasonforwritingthisbook.ButtherearealsotwospeciďŹcreasonswhysuch framingislikelytobeparticularlyfecund.
First,thisframingwillallowmetoconnectthediscussionofpunishmenttothe discussionofauthorsnottypicallyregisteringoncontemporarypunishmenttheoristsâradars.Thismayalreadybevisible,givenmyengagementwithLeibnizand Weber,buttherewillbemanymoresuchinstancesinthebook.Iwill,ofcourse, engagewiththeworkofleadingcontemporarypunishmenttheoristsandphilosophersoflaw,butIwillalsodiscussauthorsandsourcesnottypicallydiscussedby thesecontemporarypunishmenttheorists.Engagingwiththeseauthorsandsources can,asIhopetoshow,signiďŹcantlycontributetorefreshingandrevitalizingcontemporarydebatesoverthejustiďŹcationofpunishment.
Second,andmoresubstantively,thisframingrevealsthatthefundamentalquestionoftheodicyconcerns values:itconcernsitselfwithwhy theworld isgood(or bad).Theodicyisnotnecessarily(andcertainlynotprimarily)action-guiding,it beingratherconnectedtoourunderstandingandevaluationoftheworldsuchasitis connectionbetweenthesetwotermsislostinEnglish.Theconnectionisfamouslyprominentin AdamSmith,forexample,whounderstoodâmeritanddemeritâasâthequalitiesofdeservingreward, andofdeservingpunishment.âSeeAdamSmith, TheTheoryofMoralSentiments,London:Bohn (1853): 93 andff.
32 SeealsoBernardWilliams,âUnbearableSuffering,âin TheSenseofthePast:Princeton,NJ: PrincetonUniversityPress(2007): 331â337
33 TamsinShaw,âTheâLastManâProblem:NietzscheandWeberonPoliticalAttitudestoSuffering,âin NietzscheasPoliticalPhilosopher (ManuelKnollandBarryStocker,eds.),Berlin:deGruyter(2014): 345â380.Or,asNietzschehimselffamouslyputit:âWhatactuallyarousesindignationoversuffering isnotthesufferingitself,butthesenselessnessofsuffering,âinhis OntheGenealogyofMorality (KeithAnsell-Pearson,ed.),Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress(2006), 44.SeealsoAnsellPearsonâsusefulâIntroductionâtothiseditionofthe Genealogy (xiiiâxxx).
(orasitisassumedtobe).34 Thesameistrueofpunishmenttheory.Andyetthis concernwithvalueassuchhasbeenlargelyabsentfromcontemporarydiscussions ofpunishmentâinmyopinion,totheirdetriment.AsIwillargueinthenext section,oneoftheconsequencesofthisabsenceisthatithaspreventedcontemporarypunishmenttheoristsfromproperlyunderstandingwhattheythemselves claimisthecentraldebateregardingpunishment.
1.2theaxiologicalandthedeontic
WhilemanyaspectsofthephilosophicaldiscussionofpunishmenthaveformillenniabeentakentobeverydifďŹcult,andhavebeenwidelycontested,thereisatleast oneaspectregardingwhichthereappearstobegreatclarity:thecentraldebate regardingthejustiďŹcationofpunishmentisbetweenretributivismand consequentialism.35 Thestandardinterpretationofthedebategoesroughlyas follows:retributivistsjustifypunishmentbyitsbeing deserved,whereasconsequentialists,incontrast,justifypunishmentbythepositive consequences thatpunishmentis supposed(orknown)tocause.Toputthisinthetermsintroducedpreviously: consequentialistapproaches,seekingtoprevent,deter,incapacitate,rehabilitate, communicate,denounce,andsoon,are medicinal;onlyretributivismisnonmedicinallyconcernedwithjusticeassuch.
Sofar,sogood.Butsince all theserationalesâmedicinalandnon-medicinalâseemdesirable,awidevarietyofeffortstocombinethemhavebeenofferedandin factenjoywidespreadpopularity.36 Inspiteofthispopularity,however,thesefamous âmixedjustiďŹcationsâhavegeneratedmoreheatthanlight,andIhaveelsewhere arguedagainstthem.37 ButhereIwishtoputforthanewandmoregeneral explanationfortheirfailure.Iamafraidthat,onďŹrstapproximation,thisexplanation mayperhapssoundtoograndforitsowngood,butIwillattempttoshowthatthe explanationisindeedcorrect.
ThemixedjustiďŹcationshavefailedbecausetheirproponentshave misunderstood whatexactlyisbeingopposedtowhatwhenretributivismisopposedtoconsequentialismandwhatexactlyisinvolvedinâjustifyingâpunishment.Thatthedebate
34 Iamherefocusingontheworld,suchasitis,asthelocusofmeaning,conceivablyindependentlyof ourintervention.
35 Asiswellknown,âconsequentialismâcanreferbothtoageneralmoraldoctrineandspeciďŹcallyto ajustiďŹcationofpunishment.Unlessotherwisenoted,IwillthroughoutthisbookuseâconsequentialismâinthenarrowsenseofâconsequentialismaboutthejustiďŹcationofpunishment.â
36 SeetheseminalversionsinA.M.Quinton,âOnPunishment,â Analysis 14 (1954): 133â142;in JohnRawls,âTwoConceptsofRules,âinSamuelFreeman(ed.), JohnRawls:CollectedPapers, Cambridge,MA:HarvardUniversityPress(2001): 20â46;andinH.L.A.Hart, Punishmentand Responsibility, 2 ff.
37 Zaibert, PunishmentandRetribution, 10 ff.Forsimilarcriticisms,seealsoTedHonderich, Punishment:TheSupposedJustiďŹcationsRevisited,London:PlutoPress(2005), passim;and(regardingRawls)StanleyCavell, TheClaimofReason:Wittgenstein,Skepticism,Morality,andTragedy, Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress(1999), 292 ff.,especiallyat 302â303
betweenretributivistsandconsequentialistshadbeenhistoricallymisunderstood was,however,therallyingcryofsomeoftheearlyproponentsofthesefamousmixed justiďŹcationsthemselves.SoitmayseempuzzlingthatIwouldclaimthattheirviews weresuchfailures.ThepuzzleisnottoodifďŹculttoresolve,however,formyviewis thatwhilethoseproponentsofmixedjustiďŹcationswereformallycorrectinthinking thatthecentraldistinctionhadbeenmisunderstood,theythemselvesweresubstantiallywrongâ wildly wrong,infactâastothenatureofthemisunderstanding.
Morethanhalfacenturyago,A.M.Quintonfamouslyproposedthattheâantinomyâopposingretributivismandconsequentialismâcanberesolvedâbymaking surethatwehaveâproperlyunderstoodâretributivism.38 ThoughIthinkthatitisnot onlyretributivismthatneedstobeproperlyunderstoodâsinceâconsequentialismâ tooiscommonlymisunderstoodâ formally IagreewithQuinton.Butthatiswhere theagreementends:regarding substance IdisagreewithQuintondeeply.Quinton (whoseinďŹuenceonotherproponentsofmixedjustiďŹcationisconsiderable)39 held thatâretributivism,properlyunderstood,isnotamoralbutalogicaldoctrine.â40 BrieďŹy,Quintonbelievesthatretributivismreducestotheclaimthatthetalkof punishingtheundeservingevincesignoranceastowhatthewordâpunishmentâ means andthatthissemanticpointisallretributivistshaveevercaredabout.
Thisisaseriousmistake.Retributivismisnotalogicalorsemanticthesisâand Iknowofnoretributivistwhohaseverseenherownthesisinsuchareductive fashion.Retributivistscontendthatretributivism is amoraldoctrine:adoctrinethat concernsitselfwiththemoraldefensibilityofinďŹictingonwrongdoersthepunishmentthattheydeserve.Retributivism,moreover,isaspecialtypeofmoraldoctrine inasensethathasnotbeenhithertosufďŹcientlyrecognized.Iftheapparently straightforwarddistinctionbetweenretributivismandconsequentialismistomake anysenseâandifitistobeofanyhelpinadvancingthedebateconcerning punishmentâsjustiďŹcationâitneedstobeproperlyframedwithinthemoregeneral distinctionpertainingtomoralphilosophyadumbratedbyourdiscussionoftheodicy:thedistinctionbetweentheaxiologicalandthedeontic.
ByâaxiologyâIâlikeothersârefertoâtheareaofmoralphilosophythatis concernedwiththeoreticalquestionsaboutvalueandgoodnessofallvarieties,â andIthustakeittobeasynonymforâvaluetheory.â41 ByâdeonticâIherereferto considerationsthatleadusto act incertainways.Itisevidentthataxiologicaland deonticconcernsinteractwitheachotherinagreatvarietyofways:forexample,that somethingis(orisnot)goodsurelyhassomerelevanceregardingourdeliberationas towhatweought(oroughtnot)todo.Perhapsweshouldactinsuchwayssoasto
38 Quinton,âOnPunishment,â 134.
39 RawlsacknowledgesthesimilaritiesbetweenQuintonâsviewsandhisowninâTwoConceptof Rules,âfn. 4
40 Quinton,âOnPunishment,â 134.
41 MarkSchroeder,âValueTheory,â TheStanfordEncyclopediaofPhilosophy (Summer 2012 Edition) (EdwardN.Zalta,ed.):http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2012/entries/value-theory/.
bringaboutasmuchgoodnessaspossible;attheveryleastourbeliefthatsomething isgoodprovidesuswithareasonoramotiveforbringingitabout.Butitisnoless evidentthatthetwosortsofconcernsaredifferent:onethingistosay,forexample, thatshowingaffectionisagoodthing,andanotheristosaythatweoughttoshow affection.Toemployabitofcontemporaryjargon:deonticconcernsareessentially âaction-guiding,âwhereasaxiologicalconcernsarenotessentially,ordirectly,or decisively,âaction-guiding.âSomeproblemsâsuchasthetheoreticalproblemof punishmentthatismyfocusinthisbookâcanonly,oratleastmoreprofoundly, manifestthemselveswithintheaxiologicalrealm.
Withtheaidofthedistinctionbetweentheaxiologicalandthedeontic,wecan thenbegintoclarifythedistinctionbetweenretributivismandconsequentialism. Retributivism,ďŹrstandforemost, should beseenasan axiological doctrine,not adeonticone(andmuchlessamerelylogicalorsemanticone,asQuintonandother âmixedtheoristsâwouldhaveit).Retributivistsassertthatthere is valueindeserved suffering itself,inthedeservedsufferingthatisconstitutiveofpunishment itself. (Myemphasisonâitselfâintheprevioussentenceismeanttounderscore,once more,thatthisvalueisnon-medicinal.)Thefactthatdeservedsufferinghasvalueof courseentersintotheretributivistâsdeonticdeliberationsastowhetherpunishment should,inthisorthatcase,beinďŹictedâbutitdoesnotcommithertoanydeontic position.Thefactthatdeservedsufferingisvaluabledoesnotnecessarilyjustify inďŹicting it.
BynomeansdoIwishtodenythattherealsoexistâdeonticretributivists,âthatis, thinkerswhobelievethatbecausedeservedsufferingisvaluablethenitoughttobe inďŹicted.Asamatteroffact,manyleadingretributivistsâwithKantattheforefrontâoftenpresenttheirpositionasanamalgamationofbothaxiologicalanddeontic elements.
42 Muchconfusionsurroundsthisissue.Theseretributivistssimultaneously(or,asthecasemaybe,intermittently)assertthatretributivismisthe axiological viewthatdeservedpunishmentisintrinsicallygoodandthatretributivismisthe deontic viewthatweoughttopunishthedeserving.43 Andyet,bothfor reasonsIhavediscussedelsewhere44 andforotherreasonsIwillpresentlater (particularlyinChapter 4),deonticversionsofretributivismoughttoberejected. Thisisnotmerestipulation.Thereisonesuccinctandstraightforwardargument (albeitnothithertosufďŹcientlyrecognized)whyretributivismoughttobeseenas essentiallyaxiological.Retributivistscandisagreeastothecomplicatedquestions
42 ImmanuelKant, ThePhilosophyofLaw:AnExpositionoftheFundamentalsPrinciplesof JurisprudenceastheScienceofRight (W.Hastie,trans.),Edinburgh:T.&T.Clark(1887), passim butparticularly 194 ff.
43 TheamalgamationisconspicuousnotonlyinKantâsretributivismbutinitsmostsophisticated contemporarydefense,MichaelMooreâs(seehis PlacingBlame,Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress [1997])aswell.IwilldiscussthesemattersinChapter 4
44 SeeZaibert, PunishmentandRetribution, 155 ff.SeealsoDavidDolinko,âRetributivism, Consequentialism,andtheIntrinsicGoodnessofPunishment,â LawandPhilosophy 16 (1997): 507â528
concerningthedeonticimplicationsoftheiraxiologicalcommitments.Butno retributivistcandenytheaxiologicalpointthatdeservedpunishmentisintrinsically valuable.Inthissense,then,thisaxiologicalcommitmentisrevealedasabsolutely essentialtoretributivisminwaysthatnoothercommitmentis.Withoutadheringto thisaxiologicalcommitment,youarenotaretributivist.
Furthermore,itispreciselythisessentialretributivistcommitmentthattheconsequentialistdenies.Itis this disagreement,then,thatallowsustoproperlyunderstand thedebatebetweenretributivistsandconsequentialists.Situatingthediscussionof punishmentwithintheframeworkofthemorefundamentaldistinctionbetweenthe axiologicalandthedeonticgivesusaparticularlycrispandstraightforwardwayof reframingthecontemporarydebateoverthejustiďŹcationofpunishment:thedebate canbeseen,intheďŹrstinstance,asaxiological.Theretributivistassertsthatdeserved punishmentisintrinsicallyvaluable,andtheconsequentialistdeniesit.Notonlyis thiswayofdrawingthedistinctionbetweentheseopposingcampssharperthan traditionalalternatives:italsopacksmuchadditionalexplanatorypower.Thisis particularlytrueinthesensethatsodoingclariďŹesthetruenature both ofretributivism and ofconsequentialism.Fortofocusontheconsequentialistâsdenialoftheessential retributivecommitmenttotheintrinsicvalueofdeservedpunishmentallowsustosee herforwhatshereallyis,independentlyofwhateverassuaging,euphemisticwordsshe maychoosetocharacterizeherownposition.
Consequentialistsare,inaveryimportantsense,classicalutilitarians:assuch,they seepunishmentasevil,butasanevilthatcouldnonethelessbeâjustiďŹedâ(inthe remarkablyhumblesenseofâtoleratedâ)ifitcanbereasonablyexpectedtoreduce greaterevil.Consequentialistsareclassicalutilitariansatleastinthesensethatthey applytheclassicalutilitarianaxiologytothecaseofpunishment.Admittedly,itis possibletobeaclassicalutilitarianaboutpunishmentandyetnotendorseclassical utilitarianismasacomprehensivemoraldoctrine;or,inotherwords,itispossibletobe aclassicalutilitarianaboutpunishmentbutnotaboutotherthings.Independentlyof thosepossibilities,thepointremains:extantconsequentialistjustiďŹcationsofpunishmentareclassicalutilitarianinthesensejustexplained.
1.3monismandpluralism
Classicalutilitarians,however,arenottypicallyconcernedwithaxiologicalmatters assuch.Typically,theirinterestsarefundamentallydeontic:weoughtonly act (punitivelyandotherwise)whensodoingislikelytobeuseful, a ` la Bentham.This somethingusefulis,afortiori,thediminutionofsuffering(ortheaugmentationof pleasure).
45 Classicalutilitariansareaboveallconcernedwithwhatistobe done:if theycaremuchaboutaxiologicalmatters,itisonlyaboutthosethatareeffectively
45 Thesearenottwodifferentgoods.Unlessotherwisenoted,Iwillthroughoutmeanâbothâofthese goodswheneverImentiononeofthem.AsWilliamshaspithilyputit,âveryroughlyspeakingâ utilitarianismistheviewâthattheonlythingthatultimatelymattersishowmuchsufferingthere
linkedtothediminutionofsuffering,andthisiswhyitisahedonisticdoctrine.But thisisnotbecauseclassicalutilitarians lack anaxiologicalpositionbutbecausethey movebeyondtheiraxiologicalpositionveryquickly.Still,andsincethisfacthas beensosystematicallyneglected,itisworthemphasizingthatthemostfundamental pointofcontentionbetweenconsequentialistsandretributivistsis,atitsroot, axiological.
Indenyingtheessentialaxiologicalcommitmentofretributivism,consequentialists are eoipso puttingforththeirownaxiologicalposition,justasBenthamdid,namely thattherenecessarilyisdisvalueinsuffering(deservedorotherwise):inaccordanceto theirfoundingcredo,âpunishment[becauseitnecessarilyinvolvessuffering]initself isevil.âImportantly,thisparticularaxiologicalpositionisnotastapleofallformsof utilitarianism;rather,itischaracteristiconlyofitsclassical,Benthamiteincarnation. ButitisspeciďŹcallythisclassical,Benthamiteutilitarianismthatisoverwhelminglyat playinthecontemporarydiscussionofpunishment.Themuchricherâandmuch morepromisingâversionofnon-BenthamiteutilitarianismthatIwilldiscussinthis book(aboveallinChapter 2)isveryrarelyaddressedbycontemporarypunishment theorists.Thecontemporarydebateproceedsasifdistinctionsbetweendifferent versionsofutilitarianismeitherdidnotexistordidnotmatter.46
Independentlyofthehigher-orderproblemswiththedebateitself,whatisimmediatelyclearisthattheaxiologicalworldviewofclassicalutilitarianismisrathersimple: thereisbutonegood,intermsofwhichallotherputativegoodsaretobeexpressedand understoodâpleasure(which,asjustexplained,isinthiscontextequivalenttothe absenceofpain).Thisaxiologicalpositionisnotjustsimplebutproblematically simpleminded.Whileevidentlythewordâsimplemindedâismeanttoexpresscriticism, Idonotmeanitacrimoniously:Iuseitthroughoutinasomewhattechnicalsense. InwhatIthinkisthemostenlighteningcriticismofclassicalutilitarianismever (perhapswiththeexceptionofG.E.Mooreâs PrincipiaEthica),WilliamsdeďŹned simplemindednessasâhavingtoofewthoughtsandfeelingstomatchtheworldasit reallyis.â47 ItisexactlyinWilliamsâssensethatIusethetermâsimplemindedâ here.48 AsWilliamsalsopointedout,sounderstoodsimplemindednessentails neitherâlackofintellectualsophisticationânorâsimple-heartedness.â49 Givenits foundationalaxiology,classicalutilitarianismis,forreasonsthatwillbecomeclearer isââseeBernardWilliams,âTheHumanPrejudice,âin PhilosophyasaHumanisticDiscipline, Princeton,NJ:PrincetonUniversityPress(2006): 135â154,at 144.
46 Therearemanyversionsofutilitarianism.Iwillconcentrateonthedistinctionbetweenclassical utilitarianismand ideal utilitarianism(tobedeďŹnedinduecourse).So,Iwillignorethedistinction betweenact-andrule-utilitarianism,andIwillignoretooallotherversionsofthismostmalleableof doctrines.Notwithstandingtheirdifferences,allversionsofutilitarianismacceptthat,absentmedicinalconsiderations,sufferingisinitselfevil.
47 Williams,âACritiqueofUtilitarianism,â 149
48 IdonotthinkthatWilliamsâssenseofâsimplemindednessâshouldevokequitetheideaofâmoral clumsiness.âSeeSamuelSchefďŹer, TheRejectionofConsequentialism,Oxford:OxfordUniversity Press(1982), 3
49 Williams,âACritiqueofUtilitarianism,â 149
asthebookprogresses,accuratelydescribedassimpleminded,foritunhelpfully reducesâandattimescaricaturizesâboththephenomenaitseekstoexplainand thepositionswithwhichitdisagrees.Therearecasesinwhichonemayagreewith thecourseofactionclassicalutilitarianismrecommendsdespiterejectingthe explanationsthatutilitarianswouldadduceforit.Lifejustdoesnotreducetothe perennialdiminutionofsuffering,evenifonmanyoccasionsreducingsuffering maybetherightthingtodo.
Asweshallseeinduecourse,Benthamâsdictumwherebyâpunishmentisevilâis repeatedeitherverbatim(oralmostverbatim)orendorsedinspiritbyalarge numberofcontemporaryphilosophersâevenbysomewhodenythattheyare utilitarians,letalone hedonistic utilitarians.Afewofthesecontemporaryphilosophersadmitthatthereisintrinsicvalueinthingsotherthanpleasure.Forexample, acurrentlypopularsuggestionamongpunishmenttheoristsisthatthereisintrinsic valueinthewrongdoerâsrecognizingthatshehasdonewrong,inhercomingto termswiththesigniďŹcanceofwhatshehasdone,evenifthisrecognitionisnot pleasant.Buttheseauthorsarenottobeseenaspluralistsinmysense,fortwo reasons.First,becausewhenweexaminethedetailsoftheseauthorsâtheories,we ďŹndthattheirdominantsuffering-reducingagendastendtocrowdoutother considerations.Second,becausethepluralismthatIthinkisworthdefendingin ourcontextisonethatcentrallyopposesthevalueofpunishmentandthevalueof forgiveness.Aswillbecomeclearlateron(aboveallinChapter 7),forgivenessis averyspecialformofdiminishingsufferingâandinfactaformofsuffering diminutionthatissurprisinglydifďŹcultforutilitarianstoevencountenance.But acertaindismissaloftheaxiologicalsigniďŹcanceofforgivenessgoesbeyondthe utilitarians.Eventhosecontemporarypunishmenttheoristswhoproperlyseethemselvesaspluralistsandwhodonotsuccumbtotheindiscriminatesufferingreductionagendaofutilitarianismfailtotakeforgivenessseriously.
Tobesure,notallformsofutilitarianismareweddedtohedonism.Asweshall seeinfulldetailinthenextchapter, ideal utilitariansexplicitlyâandwiselyâdeny thatpleasureistheonlyvaluablething.Theaxiologyof ideal utilitarianism explainstheotherwiseprobablyconfusingâandhithertoinsufďŹcientlyinvestigatedâfactthatanidealutilitariancanalsoembraceretributivism.Insofaras idealutilitariansdenythatpleasureistheonlygood,theiradherentscanendorse richer, pluralistic axiologiesthanthesimplemindedaxiologyunderwhosemonolithicheavinessclassicalutilitarianismgroans.(Thisissoeveniftheirpluralism maybenotquitetheoneIdefendhere.)Idealutilitarianscanunproblematically embrace(axiological)retributivism,sincetheirpluralisticaxiologymayallowthem torecognizethatgivingpeoplewhattheydeserveâevenifwhattheydeserveisto sufferâisvaluable.Moreover,idealutilitarianscanalsounderstandthatthevalue offorgivenessisnottobefoundinthefactthatitreducessufferingsimpliciter. Thesearethingsthat,asIwillexplaininduecourse,theimmenselymore inďŹuentialclassicalutilitariansimplycannotdo.
Theprecedingremarkshelpusforegroundfourinterestingandinterrelated characteristicsofthecontemporarydebateconcerningthejustiďŹcationofpunishment.First,asitturnsout,thedebateopposesthinkers(theretributivists)who believethat,whateverelsemayberelevant,thefactthatpunishmentisdeserved surelyispartofthestoryofitsjustiďŹcationandthinkers(theconsequentialists)who believethat,sincedeservedpunishmentisatbestvalueless,thestoryofpunishmentâs justiďŹcationshouldsimplybethestoryofoureffortstodiminishsufferinginthe world.Second,althoughthecoreofthedebateisaxiological(torepeat:whetheror notthereisvalueindeservedpunishmentitself),insofarasthehedonisticutilitarian quicklyabandonsherownaxiologicalconcernsandmovestoadvanceherdeontic goals,thedebatetypicallyplaysoutâunhelpfullyâasaconfrontationbetweenwhat shouldberecognizedasanessentiallyaxiologicaldoctrine(retributivism)and adoctrinethatrecognizesitselfasessentiallydeontic(consequentialism).Atthe veryleast,distinguishingbetweentheaxiologicalandthedeonticdimensionsofthe debateislikelytohelpusexplainâandsometimesexplainawayâsomeofthevexing problemssurroundingthewayinwhichthedebateoverpunishmentâsjustiďŹcation playsout.Third,bothconsequentialismand deontic retributivismaresimplemindedlymonistic,anditisbetweenthesetwoalternativesthatthecontemporarydebate overthejustiďŹcationofpunishmentplaysout.Inthisbook,Iwishtoexplorethe consequencesoftakingaricherandnon-simplemindedpluralisticaxiology(with whichonly axiological retributivismisconsistent)seriously.
Fourth,andasacorollarytotheďŹrstthreecharacteristicsnotedpreviously,Iam heresuggestinganewwayofmappingtherelevantterritory.Ratherthanseeingthe differencebetweenretributivismandconsequentialismascentraltothedebate surroundingthejustiďŹcationofpunishment,Iproposethatwerecognizethatthe centraldistinctionisinfactthatwhichopposesmonisticandpluralisticjustiďŹcations ofpunishment.Inthisnewmap,manyretributivistjustiďŹcations,alongwithmany âmixedâjustiďŹcationsofpunishment,belong,togetherwithconsequentialistjustiďŹcations,underthecategoryofâmonisticâjustiďŹcations.Forexample,underthis newlight,KantâsretributivismandMichaelS.Mooreâsretributivism,justasmuchas QuintonâsandRawlsâsandHartâsâmixedjustiďŹcations,âarerevealedtobeas monisticasBenthamiteutilitarianismâandtheyarethusallgroupedtogether underthegeneralheadingâmonism.â50 Thereare,infact,veryfewtrulypluralistic justiďŹcationsofpunishment.51
50 Famously,RawlsdistinguishesbetweenjustiďŹcationfromtheperspectiveofajudgeandfromthe perspectiveofthelegislator,andHartdistinguishesbetweenjustiďŹcationattheleveloftheâgeneral justifyingaimsâofpunishmentandatthelevelofitsâdistribution.âEachoftheseperspectivesinitself is,however,monistic.SeeRawls,âTwoConceptsofRules,âandHart, PunishmentandResponsibility, op.cit. QuintonâsâmixedjustiďŹcationâisevenmoreobviously,andmoreunqualiďŹedly,monistic (sinceitisutilitarianthroughandthrough).
51 ThecontemporaryauthorwhoexplicitlycomesclosesttothetypeofpluralismIdefendis JohnTasioulas,aboveallinhisâPunishmentandRepentance,âandinhisâMercy,â Proceedingsof theAristotelianSociety 103 (2003): 101â132.IwilldiscusshiminChapter 5
Tosuggestthisnewmapisnottotherebydecreetheabsoluteendof(something like)thedistinctionbetweenretributivismandconsequentialism.Foritispossible thatthisdistinction(oronelikeit)canresurfacedownstream,asitwere.Consider twodifferentpluralisticjustiďŹcations,onethatvaluesdesertmuchmoredecisively thanitvaluesmedicinalconsiderationsandonethatvaluesmedicinalconsiderationsmuchmoredecisivelythanitvaluesdesert.Itmaybethoughtusefultoreferto theformerasretributiveandtothelatterasconsequentialist.Iamnotsurethatit would indeedbeusefultocontinueemployingtheselabels(atleastnotwithout importantqualiďŹcations),forthismayconfuseratherthanclarify,giventhatthey wouldrefertojustiďŹcationsthatwouldstillbeimportantlydifferentfromwhatwe nowcallconsequentialismand(deontic)retributivism.Buteveniftheselabelswere usedinthisway,thedistinctionwouldstillbeoperatingonly within thebroader categoryofpluralisticjustiďŹcations(or,asthecasemaybe, within thebroader categoryofmonisticjustiďŹcations,sincethepossibilitydiscussedinthisparagraph couldevidentlyalsobeimaginedunderthatotherheading).And,thus,thefundamentalimportanceofthedistinctionbetweenmonisticandpluralisticjustiďŹcations thatIamchampioningwouldremainintact.
Thesecharacteristicsofthecontemporaryphilosophicaldebateregardingthe justiďŹcationofpunishmentâaboveallthenewmapofthejustiďŹcationsofpunishmentIamproposingâareprobablysurprisingtomany.Attheveryleast,itisplain thatthesecharacteristicsandthisnewmaparenotgenerallyacknowledged,and Isuspectthattheymaybeoutrightrejectedbytheorthodoxyamongpunishment theorists.Butunderstandingwhatthedebatereallyisaboutstrikesmeascrucialto advancingit,andIthinkthatthewayinwhichIframethedebateinthisbookgetsus closertosuchunderstanding.
Whileproposinganewmapisindeedanimportantcontributiontothedebate, mygoalsinthisbookgobeyondthat.Mymoresystematicgoalsaretodefend apluralisticapproachtopunishmentandtoshowaseriesofhithertounderinvestigatedtheoreticalconsequencesthatďŹowfromtakingpluralismseriously. Underthislight,itshouldbeclearthatIamnotinterestedindefendingretributivismassuch:whatmattersmostisthepluralismwithwhichaxiologicalretributivism isconsistent.Retributivism,understoodasanaxiologicalthesis,allowsforaricher andpluralisticaxiology,onethatadmitsthatthereisvalueinbothjustice(inthe formofdeservedpunishment)andforgiveness,understoodasaveryspeciďŹcformof sufferingdiminution.Thisiswhythepluralisticapproachispreferableto consequentialism.
Ofcourse,ifretributivismismerelyconsistentwithapluralisticaxiology,it followsthatitsdefendersoweusanexplanationastothedeonticimportofthe intrinsicvalueofdeservedpunishment.Therearetwopossibleextremes.One extremeistoinsistthataxiologicalconsiderationsarecompletelyindependent fromdeonticconsiderations,sothattheyhavenopracticalsigniďŹcancewhatsoever.Theotherextremeistolinkaxiologicalconsiderationssotightlytodeontic
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âChoked is my stream with dead men!â it cried, âand still thou slayest!â
But when Achilles heeded not, in fierce flood the river uprose against him, sweeping the slain before it, and in furious spate seeking to destroy Achilles. But as its waves smote against his shield, Achilles grasped a tall elm, and uprooting it, cast it into the river to dam the torrent. For the moment only was the angry river stayed. In fear did Achilles flee across the plain, but with a mighty roar it pursued him, and caught him.
To the gods then cried Achilles, and to his aid came Athene, and close to the walls of Troy again did Achilles chase the Trojan men.
From the city walls old Priam saw the dreadful things Achilles wrought.
And when, his armour blazing like the brightest stars of the sky, he drew near, and Hector would have gone to meet him, in grief did Priam cry to his dearly-loved son:
âHector, beloved son, I pray thee go not alone to meet this man; mightier far than thou is he.â
But all eager for the fight was Hector. Of all the men of Troy he alone still stood unafraid. Then did the mother of Hector beseech him to hold back from what must surely mean death. Yet Hector held not back, but on his shining shield leaned against a tower, awaiting the coming of the great destroyer.
And at last they met, face to face, spear to spear. As a shootingstar in the darkness so flashed the spear of Achilles as he hurled it home to pierce the neck of Hector. Gods and men had deserted Hector, and alone before the walls of Troy he fell and died.
Thus ended the fight.
For twelve days did the Greek host rejoice, and all through the days Hectorâs body lay unburied. For at the heels of swift horses had the Greeks dragged him to the ships, while from the battlements his
mother and his wife Andromache watched, wailing in agony, with hearts that broke.
The shadow of death came down upon Hector (page 116)
Then at length went old Priam to the camp of the Greeks. And before Achilles he fell, beseeching him to have mercy and to give him back the body of his son.
So was the heart of Achilles moved, and the body of Hector ransomed; and with wailing of women did the people of Troy
welcome home their hero.
Over him lamented his old mother, for of all her sons was he to her most dear, and over him wept, with burning tears, his wife Andromache.
And to his bier came Helen, and with breaking heart did she sob forth her sorrow.
âDearest of my brothers,â she said, âfrom thee have I heard neither reproach nor evil word. With kind words and gentle heart hast thou ever stood by me. Lost, lost is my one true friend. No more in Troyland is any left to pity me.â
On lofty funeral pyre then laid they the dead Hector, and when the flames had consumed his body his comrades placed his white bones in a golden urn, and over it with great stones did they raise a mighty mound that all might see where he rested.
Yet still was the warfare between Greeks and Trojans not ended.
To Achilles death came in a shaft from the bow of Paris. By a poisoned arrow driven at venture and at dark midnight from the bow of an outcast leper was fair Paris slain. While winter snow lay white on Ida, in Helenâs arms did his life ebb away.
Then came there a day when the Greeks burned their camp and sailed homeward across the grey water.
Behind them they left a mighty horse of wood, and the men of Troy came and drew it into the city as trophy and sign of victory over those who had made it. But inside the horse were hidden many of the bravest warriors of Greece, and at night, when the Trojans feasted, the Greeks came out of their hiding-place and threw open the gates.
And up from the sea came the Greek host, and in fire and in blood fell the city of Troy.
Yet did not Helen perish. Back to his own kingdom by the sea Menelaus took her, to reign, in peace, a queen, she who had brought
grief and death to so many, and to the city of Troy unutterable woe.
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