Concept
Punishment
Overview
Punishment is the imposition of an undesirable or unpleasant outcome upon an individual or group, as a response for breaking some norm or rule. The term punishment is used both within and outside of the criminal justice context. For example, punishment outside of criminal law can include child discipline measures or conscious or subconscious impositions of unpleasant measures in a relationship.
A variety of philosophical theories have been developed to justify punishment. Important views argue that punishment deters wrongdoing, rehabilitates offenders, incapacitates the dangerous, or gives justice to those who deserve it. Moral justifications of punishment are found even in ancient civilisations, with Aristotle writing extensively of the ethical implications of imposing pain onto an individual or group.
Punishment can differ in its degree of severity, and may include sanctions such as reprimands, removing privileges, deprivation of liberty, fines, incarcerations, ostracism and social shunning, the infliction of pain, amputation and the death penalty.
Corporal punishment refers to punishments in which physical pain is intended to be inflicted upon the transgressor.
Punishments may be judged as fair or unfair in terms of their degree of reciprocity and proportionality to the offense.
Punishment can be an integral part of socialization, and punishing unwanted behavior is often part of a system of pedagogy or behavioral modification which also includes rewards.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
In the original texts
Passages from public-domain books where Punishment is discussed.
In the ancient idea of punishment a religious concept was immanent, namely, the retributive power of chastisement. Penalties purified; in modern society, however, penalties degrade. Punishment is a form of paying off a debt: once it has been paid, one is freed from the deed for which one was so ready to suffer. Provided belief in the power of punishment exist, once the penalty is paid a feeling of relief and…
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, The Will to Power
names the idea; states what it is; author linked in the graph; opens on it
Punishment is supposed to have the value of exciting in the guilty the consciousness of guilt; in punishment is sought the proper instrumentum of that psychic reaction which becomes known as a "bad conscience," "remorse." But this theory is even, from the point of view of the present, a violation of reality and psychology: and how much more so is the case when we have to deal with the longest period of man's…
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, The Genealogy of Morals The Complete Works, Volume Thirteen, edited by Dr. Oscar Levy.
names the idea; states what it is; author linked in the graph; opens on it
Capitall, is the Infliction of Death; and that either simply, or with torment. Lesse than Capitall, are Stripes, Wounds, Chains, and any other corporall Paine, not in its own nature mortall. For if upon the Infliction of a Punishment death follow not in the Intention of the Inflicter, the Punishment is not be bee esteemed Capitall, though the harme prove mortall by an accident not to be foreseen; in which case death…
Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan
names the idea; a chapter is titled for it; states what it is; opens on it
As therefore woman endures the punishment of sin in her body, a punishment she is mercifully enabled to bear, with which she is afflicted in the bringing forth of children; so the husband has to endure his punishment in the government of his household; while, with all kinds of difficulty, labor and distress, he rules his house and provides for his family. And justly so; for it was on his own account that the field…
Martin Luther, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 1
names the idea; a chapter is titled for it; opens on it
Preliminary Remark.—Whether the punishment is great or small, the pain inflicted intense or less intense, depends on the following four conditions. 1. The greatness of the sin. Actions that cause great harm are punished severely, whilst actions that cause little harm are punished less severely. 2. The frequency of the crime.
Moses Maimonides, The guide for the perplexed
names the idea; states what it is; opens on it
Philosophers who discussed Punishment
Related ideas
- Friedrich Nietzsche
- Falsifiability
- Operant conditioning
- Iran
- John Stuart Mill
- Jurisprudence
- Law
- Virus
- Retributive justice
- Suffering
- Conformity
- Restorative justice
- Compulsory education
- Penology
- Pain
- Rule of law
- Sin
- Aristotle
- Theocracy
- Divine Comedy
- Society
- Computer simulation
- Social contract
- Pedagogy
Place in the tradition
Part of Behaviorism.