Classical Philosophies of Punishment

About the lecture

In this lecture, we think about future-oriented, backward-oriented and abolitionist philosophical approaches to punishment, focusing in particular on: (i) Cesare Beccaria’s classical penological writing, notably his ideas around deterrence; (ii) Jeremy Bentham’s utilitarian approach and the extent to which incapacitation justifies punishment; (iii) Bentham’s work on reformative prisons, especially the panopticon, and whether reform and rehabilitation are legitimate grounds for punishment; (iv) Immanuel Kant’s moral arguments for retribution, and the critique of his ideas; (v) William Godwin’s arguments for the abolition of punishment.

About the lecturer

Dr David Scott works at the Open University. He researches and teaches on prisons, penal abolitionism and the sociology and philosophy of punishment. His publications include For Abolition: Essays on Prisons and Socialist Ethics (2020), Against Imprisonment: An Anthology of Abolitionist Essays (2018), and, with Nick Flynn, Prisons and Punishment: The Essentials (2014).