On Jun 6, 12:37 pm, John Clark <[email protected]> wrote: > On Wed, Jun 6, 2012 Brian Tenneson <[email protected]> wrote: > > > how can we hold criminals culpable in that they had no choice but to > > commit crime? > > It just mystifies me that someone would even ask a question like that. If > you're chasing me with a bloody ax I don't care if you had a "choice" > (whatever the hell that is supposed to mean) to do so or not, nor do I care > what thoughts, be they beautiful or ugly, are dancing around in your brain > while you're doing it; all I want is for you to stop chasing me with that > damn ax and I want measures taken to discourage that sort of thing > happening in the future by you or anybody else.
But that doesn't explain why we would pick 'punishment' as a prophylactic measure. If it was an axe that fell off the wall of your garage, do you seek to punish the garage? The axe? Punishment only works if something 1. cares whether or not it's experience is unpleasant - ie has sense qualia of pleasure and pain contrast and 2. has causally efficacious motive to alter their behavior, and by extension alter the circumstances of their environment - ie motive power: (continuum ranging from libertarian free will in our innermost thoughts and imagination, to voluntary control over some aspects of our attention and neuromuscular system, to involuntary reflex of subconscious and unconscious processes). Craig -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list?hl=en.
