PHIL 150 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: The Best Bet, Universalizability
Document Summary
Utilitarian considerations: protection: punishment protects society by locking up the dangerous elements, deterrence: punishment promotes the general happiness by providing potential wrong-doers. 3) with a deterrent (disincentive), crimes are less likely to be committed if there are costs. Rehabilitation: if we can rehabilitate criminals and make them functioning members of society, that will increase general happiness. Punishment is only justified by the fact that criminals deserve to be punished. In fact, the pain of punishment is intrinsically right or good. They have the capacity for self-governance and act on their own principles. If we did not hold the person responsible (punish them), then we would not be respecting their autonomy. To treat individuals as an end you must hold them responsible for their actions: as a rational person, my duty is to act only on principles that are universalizable. So by acting on a principle, i am in effect recommending it to everyone.
