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One topic that we don't get to study a great deal, just because of the combination of IGCSE, GCSE and A-level courses we study is Justice. And yet this is an immensely important ethical issue - one could argue that a society can be judged by how it treats its criminals. Should we simply be in the business of punishing them in order to "get even", are we locking them away so that they don't harm anyone else, are we trying to make an example of them so others don't commit the same crime or are we trying to make criminals better people so they can come out of jail and rejoin society? But what happens when there is no one person to blame because the state is to blame? Or what if the perpetrator is long dead? What do we do then? To think about these issues I am going to go to, and am recommending that pupils attend, a lecture on 22nd June, 2015 at Univeristy of Hertfordshire.
This lecture is going to examine the the idea of rectificatory (putting right a past wrong) or corrective justice which goes back to Aristotle, and can take many forms, including punishment, compensation, restitution or restoration, as well as other forms of amending action. The problem is that too often punishment focuses on wrongdoers, often to the exclusion or even to the detriment of victims; compensation focuses on victims rather than wrongdoers. So what is the best way to deal with these problems?
This lecture is going to examine the the idea of rectificatory (putting right a past wrong) or corrective justice which goes back to Aristotle, and can take many forms, including punishment, compensation, restitution or restoration, as well as other forms of amending action. The problem is that too often punishment focuses on wrongdoers, often to the exclusion or even to the detriment of victims; compensation focuses on victims rather than wrongdoers. So what is the best way to deal with these problems?
Addressing these questions will be Baroness O'Neill of Bengarve. She is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge, and a cross-bench member of the House of Lords. She has written extensively in the areas of political philosophy, ethics, international relations, bioethics and Immanuel Kant, including giving the BBC Reith Lectures on A Question of Trust in 2002.
The lecture starts at 1930 on Monday 22nd June preceeded by registration and light refreshements from 1845. You need to book in advance - follow the link below. I hope to see you there!
The lecture starts at 1930 on Monday 22nd June preceeded by registration and light refreshements from 1845. You need to book in advance - follow the link below. I hope to see you there!
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