Skip to main content
SWStudyWalks Search

Ethics and Values / Unit 8   Ethics 377 short lesson, about 20 seconds

The Innocence Constraint

Captions available

The idea

The innocence constraint: any justification of punishment must make punishing the known-innocent impossible in principle — a test pure deterrence struggles to pass.

In practice

Ask each theory what is wrong with framing one to calm many. Desert answers instantly; deterrence must first check the consequences — and that pause is the problem.

Your place on the trail

Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.

Something wrong in this lesson? Flag it  ·  Sources for Ethics and Values