15 research outputs found
Free-will, responsibility and punishment
One of the purposes of this thesis is to try to examine the concepts of mental sickness and responsibility (and some other related concepts) and see whether or not they can be defended against some of the criticisms that have been made against them. It has, for instance, been argued that the concept mental sickness is culture relative in a bad sense. If this criticism is valid, then we cannot be justified in saying that mental sickness has impaired a person's responsibility. Another criticism that has been made is that arguments that use mental sickness to explain and excuse criminal behaviour are circular. Most of the criticisms that I have discussed are intended to be general, i.e. they are criticisms of the concept of mental disorder im general, not just of a particular kind of mental disorder. Thus though Lady Wootton says that arguments that try to explain the psychopath's anti-social behaviour are circular, she thinks (at least in her more radical moments) that the circular process prevails in other mental disorders as well (e.g. with mental defectives. See Social Science and Social Pathology, page 256 ff.). Similarly, the argument that different standards of mental defect prevail in different cultures, and that therefore there is something wrong with the concept of mental defect, is intended to be (at least in her more radical moments) a general one, i.e. it is intended to apply, mutatis mutandis against other kinds of mental disorders also. [Please see pdf. for full abstract.
The Right to Civil Disobedience
This article compares and contrasts the way Gandhi understands the right to civil disobedience with the way this right is understood by some contemporary liberals. Some of the implications of the right to civil disobedience are also discussed. The right to civil disobedience implies that the authorities should extend some tolerance to civil disobedients not only when they are correct, but also when they are reasonably mistaken in their views. Tolerance here does not involve preventing civil disobedients from breaking the law, and implies that when civil disobedients break the law, they have a claim not to be punished or have their punishment reduced. Of course such claims have to be balanced against other considerations, such as the need for deterrence
Free-will, responsibility and punishment
One of the purposes of this thesis is to try to examine the
concepts of mental sickness and responsibility (and some other
related concepts) and see whether or not they can be defended against
some of the criticisms that have been made against them. It has,
for instance, been argued that the concept mental sickness is
culture relative in a bad sense. If this criticism is valid, then
we cannot be justified in saying that mental sickness has impaired
a person's responsibility.
Another criticism that has been made is that arguments that
use mental sickness to explain and excuse criminal behaviour are
circular.
Most of the criticisms that I have discussed are intended to
be general, i.e. they are criticisms of the concept of mental disorder
im general, not just of a particular kind of mental disorder. Thus
though Lady Wootton says that arguments that try to explain the
psychopath's anti-social behaviour are circular, she thinks (at
least in her more radical moments) that the circular process prevails
in other mental disorders as well (e.g. with mental defectives.
See Social Science and Social Pathology, page 256 ff.).
Similarly, the argument that different standards of mental
defect prevail in different cultures, and that therefore there is
something wrong with the concept of mental defect, is intended to be
(at least in her more radical moments) a general one, i.e. it is
intended to apply, mutatis mutandis against other kinds of mental
disorders also.
[Please see pdf. for full abstract.