|
|
This is only a preview of the paper
Click here to register and get the full text.
Existing members click here to login
|
|
|
Kaufmann Walter Kaufmann has obviously done a fair share of his own thinking over the years. Kaufmann is simply relentless to a broad rejection of justice as the backbone of our moral foundation, leading to the dismissing, of all things, GUILT! From Kaufmann himself: "Guilt feelings are a contagious disease that harms those who harbor them and endangers those who live close to them. The liberation from guilt spells the dawn the autonomy." It is in the few selections from Without Guilt and Justice (From Decidophobia to Autonomy) that Kaufmann really brings out the alternatives to decidophobia, justice, and guilt. Most people today believe that the basic, traditional, idea of justice is that everyone is equal. People are to get what they deserve, whether that is jail time for committing a murder or a $180 fee for a speeding violation. As Kaufmann described it the origin of justice is, “a single source. The source of the idea that a reward or punishment is deserved is—a promise. And what is felt to be deserved, is what was promised.” However Kaufmann feels that retributive justice is dead. He feels that there can’t be an equal punishment for a person’s wrongdoing because no one really knows what that person deserves. He could have been starving on the streets and had to steal to survive, while someone else could have just stolen because they wanted more money, because they were greedy. Kaufmann says that there is no way to know what either person deserves therefore retributive justice, you get what you deserve, must be dead. Though he feels if retributive justice is dead there may still be a need for punishment in the future. Some possibilities for the need of punishment in his views are, “ 1- Engendering fear, 2- Inculcating a moral sense, 3- informing of what is forbidden, 4- preventing private vengeance, 5- preventing emulation of the law breaker, 6- safety valve—purge of societies’ sadism, 7- reforming the offender, 8- restitution, 9- expiation of sin, 10- justice.” This punishment is necessary to prevent chaos, and unnecessary behavior of the people. I personally agree with Kaufmann on this subject. I do feel that there needs to be some type of punishment to control these forbidden things from happening but at the same time I feel that punishments can never truly be just because no one really knows what another person deserves.
Approximate Word count = 1494
Approximate Pages = 6
(250 words per page double spaced)
|
|
|
|
|
|