Sections offered FALL 2020:
#14148 |
MATTHEW ADAMS |
MW 9:25-10:40am |
BH 203 |
CLASS NOTES: IUB GenEd S&H credit; COLL (CASE) S&H Breadth of Inquiry credit
Above class taught in a Hybrid manner which includes In Person and Online Instruction. For more information visit https://fall2020.iu.edu/learning-modes/
What is punishment? Under what conditions (if any) should people be punished, and why? This course introduces some core philosophical topics and skills by examining different dimensions of punishment. We will survey the main philosophical justifications of punishment including retribution and deterrence and, in doing so, learn how they relate to major ethical theories like deontology and utilitarianism. We will also examine theoretical questions that punishment raises about freedom, responsibility, action, and how we can know how much people should be punished. Alongside such questions we will explore issues that arise in a contemporary US context, such as the legal administration of the death penalty and how it relates to the enduring legacy of racial injustice. The course is designed to introduce students to a broad spectrum of philosophical techniques and activities. These range from the careful reconstruction of arguments in classic texts by philosophers like Plato, Kant, and Foucault to the use of philosophical analysis to dissect Supreme Court cases like McCleskey v. Kemp from a variety of perspectives.