Is Bradley a Retributivist?

Brooks, Thom

Abstract

Perhaps the least controversial area of F.H. Bradley's writings relates to his views on punishment. Commentators universally recognize Bradley's theory of punishment as a retributivist theory of punishment. This article challenges the received wisdom. I argue that Bradley does not endorse retributivism as commonly understood. Instead, he defends the view that punishment is non-retributivist and serves the end of societal maintenance. Moreover, Bradley defends this view consistently from Ethical Studies to later work on punishment. Instead of holding a theory of punishment largely unique amongst British Idealists of his time, Bradley's views on punishment are far more consistent than previously thought.

Citation

Brooks, T. (2011). Is Bradley a Retributivist?. History of Political Thought, 32(1), 83-95

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2011
• Deposit Date: Nov 21, 2012
• Publicly Available Date: May 1, 2013
• Journal: History of Political Thought
• Print ISSN: 0143-781X
• Publisher: Imprint Academic
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 32
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 83-95
• Keywords: Punishment, Retribution, Unified theory.
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1493126
• Publisher URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/imp/hpt/2011/00000032/00000001/art00005