Campus Units
Political Science
Document Type
Article
Publication Version
Published Version
Publication Date
2010
Journal or Book Title
The Journal of Politics
Volume
72
Issue
3
First Page
720
Last Page
732
DOI
10.1017/s0022381610000125
Abstract
Locke’s theory of punishment initially appears to be a confused combination of retributive considerations that base punishment on desert and forward-looking considerations that base punishment on future benefits. A more coherent theory emerges, however, if his argument is set in its historical context and compared with that of Grotius, Hobbes, and Pufendorf. Locke rejected retributivism in all but its weakest version and grounded punishment in two distinct rationales, protection of society and restitution for victims. In doing so, Locke’s theory challenges the dichotomy between forward-looking and backward-looking rationales and contemporary conceptions of the domain of ‘‘punishment.’’
Copyright Owner
Southern Political Science Association`
Copyright Date
2010
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Tuckness, Alex, "Retribution and Restitution in Locke’s Theory of Punishment" (2010). Political Science Publications. 43.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/pols_pubs/43
Comments
This article is published as Tuckness, Alex. "Retribution and restitution in Locke’s theory of punishment." The Journal of Politics 72, no. 3 (2010): 720-732.. doi: 10.1017/s0022381610000125. Posted with permission.