Question on the Relationship between Justice and Punishment

I recently spent a couple of hours talking a criminology student through various aspects of Foucault’s work – in particular disciplinary mechanisms and prisons – in the context of a paper she was writing about the success of prisons.

While this conversation was taking place, especially during the two hour intermission that was legal ethics (week nine – game theory and client counselling), the distracting question was what is the relationship between justice and penal punishment?

There does not seem to be any clear relation. But when the legal/justice system links punishment to justice, then there must seemingly be some role for punishment in the notion of justice.

Things seem to happen around here when questions are put forward, so lets treat this like the start of a discussion and see where it takes us.

Philosopher's Carnival, No. thirty-six

The 36th Philosopher's Carnival is being hosted by What is it like to be a blog?

Sekirew on Kanzan

‘Yes, Kanzan’s heart is like an autumn moon, but what about your own heart? Isn’t it also like the autumn moon? Instead of using another’s thoughts create your own’ – Ashiza Sekirew, ‘Enso’

On ‘Choose Life’

Peter Singer, with Agata Saga, has contributed to the Australian debate regarding the legal status of stem-cell technology research, with an article in The Bulletin.

On ‘Schopenhauer’

William R. Schroeder’s review of Julian Young’s Schopenhauer, for NDPR.

On the 11th of September 2001

Allegedly, five years ago the world changed.

Perhaps the locus of change was simply in the mode of perception.

Philosopher's Carinval, No. Thirty-five

The 35th Philosopher's Carnival - the 'back to school edition' - is being hosted by Philosopher's Playground.

Spinoza On Gladness

‘there is no small difference between the gladness by which a drunk is led and the gladness a philosopher possesses.’ – Benedict de Spinoza, Ethics (London: Penguin, 1996), p. 102.

On ‘Foucault the Neohumanist?’

Richard Wolin, in The Chronicle of Higher Education, advances a humanist reconsideration of Foucault’s position.

On Jahanbegloo

It was noted, in an earlier post, that Ramin Jahanbegloo had been imprisoned in Iran. In the past couple of days it has been confirmed that he has recently been released.

Eurozine has published a paper, delivered by Jahanbegloo earlier this year, on ‘the clash of intolerances’.