Corporal Punishment: A Humane Alternative to Incarceration

Corporal Punishment: A Humane Alternative to Incarceration
Kevin J. Murtagh
September 2012

ISBN-13:  978-1-59332-518-3 / Hardcover
Dimensions:  5.5 x 8.5 / viii, 198 pages

Price   $67.00

Description

In contemporary Western societies, the corporal punishment of criminals is generally assumed to be morally wrong. Murtagh, however, argues against this common assumption and attempts to demonstrate that certain forms of corporal punishment are morally permissible. In addition, he claims that these punishments are morally superior to many currently popular forms of punishment, especially imprisonment, and defends corporal punishment against objections that claim it to be cruel, inhumane, inhuman, and degrading. Substantial suffering is inevitable with any severe punishment, and Murtagh offers reasons why it may be preferable to cause it by imposing physical pain rather than by incarcerating offenders.

About the Author

Kevin J. Murtagh received his Ph.D. in Philosophy from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York in 2010. During the past decade, he has taught numerous philosophy courses in and around New York City. His articles have appeared in South Park and Philosophy (Blackwell, 2006), The Journal of Political Philosophy, and Criminal Law and Philosophy.