Date Thesis Awarded
5-2017
Access Type
Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only
Degree Name
Bachelors of Arts (BA)
Department
Philosophy
Advisor
Christopher A. Freiman
Committee Members
M. Victoria Costa
Christine Nemacheck
Abstract
Theories of punishment seek to validate the use of punishments and maintain societal order. These theories can be divided into two general philosophical camps, retributivism and utilitarianism. By pointing to the unacceptable consequences of other moral theories, offering a solution to the most glaring objection to retributive justice, and giving justification for the certain punishments that proportional punishments require, I seek to prove that retributive justice alone remains a functional theory of justice.
Recommended Citation
Kim, Samantha, "A Defense of Retributivism as a Theory of Punishment" (2017). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 1108.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/1108