Kant and the Morality of Anger - 4094 Words

Kant and the Morality of Anger Introduction This essay does not comprise a defence of retributive punishment, neither does it imply a rejection of deterrent punishment. The writer suggests that one possible reason for the tendency to advocate punishment of offenders with ever increasing severity can be discovered in the concept of the morality of anger. It is this explanation of the phenomenon that forms the principal burden of the arguments used in this essay. The salient characteristics of the two theories of punishment, which find expression in English law, will be found below [1]. In the absence of any definitive public policy an unresolved tension exists, which derives from attempts made to reconcile the two theories,†¦show more content†¦An offender must be found to be punishable before any assessment of benefit to the citizen or community is taken into consideration, because the punishment of the innocent is inherently a gross injustice. According to Kant the universal concept of retribution has priority over any and all consequential effects. This rule is followed, and the crime suppressed, only when the convicted offender draws the evil deed back to himself, as a punishment, and when he suffers that which according to the penal law he has inflicted on others., Penalties are defined in the penal law, to which the offender is subject, and therefore they are invariant. It would, therefore, be morally wrong if those penalties were not to be inflicted on the offender in response to his crime. Kants general proposition is that of the equality of crime and punishment, which he illustrates by means of analogy. He likens justice to none other than the principle of equality in the movement of the pointer of the scales of justice. However he does not argue explicitly for his principle of equality and, if we examine his observations with respect to the punishments for robbery or rebellion against the state, then these seem to be implausible or unconvincing, because they seem to be overdrawn or unnecessarily harsh. And also because they do not make any allowance for extenuating or mitigating circumstances, or for irrationalShow MoreRelatedKant s Theory Of Morality982 Words   |  4 PagesImmanuel Kant is said by many to be one of the most influential â€Å"thinkers† in the history of Western philosophy (McCormick, n.d.), this being said, most of his theories continue to be taught and are highly respected by society. Kant was a firm believer that the morality of any action can be assessed by the motivation behind it (McCormick, n.d.). In other words, if an action is good but the intention behind the action is not good, the action itself would be considered immoral. Those who follow theRead MoreAlternative Fuel, Global Climate Change, and the Categorical Imperative745 Words   |  3 Pageschanneled through practical and economic prisms, it is also appropriate to consider our econolgy as a function of morality. The ethical dilemmas which contribute to our policies and our behaviors regarding the use of fossil fuels and our attention to global climate change are frequently overshadowed by more immediate concerns of survival or mere comfort. However, German philosopher Immanuel Kant offers what has become an important if decidedly rigid framework for facing such an ethical dilemma. AccordingRead MoreKant And The Moral Law1451 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction: Kant argues that mere conformity with the moral law is not sufficient for moral goodness. I will argue that Kant is right. 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This leads to Kant how he began to challenge people to really think