The Culture of Vengeance and the Fate of American Justice
- Author: Terry K. Aladjem, Harvard University, Massachusetts
- Date Published: April 2008
- availability: Available
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9780521713863
Paperback
Other available formats:
Hardback
Looking for an inspection copy?
This title is not currently available on inspection
-
America is driven by vengeance in Terry Aladjem's provocative account – a reactive, public anger that is a threat to democratic justice itself. From the return of the death penalty to the wars on terror and in Iraq, Americans demand retribution and moral certainty; they assert the 'rights of victims' and make pronouncements against 'evil'. Yet for Aladjem this dangerously authoritarian turn has its origins in the tradition of liberal justice itself – in theories of punishment that justify inflicting pain and in the punitive practices that result. Exploring vengeance as the defining problem of our time, Aladjem returns to the theories of Locke, Hegel and Mill. He engages the ancient Greeks, Nietzsche, Paine and Foucault to challenge liberal assumptions about punishment. He interrogates American law, capital punishment and images of justice in the media. He envisions a democratic justice that is better able to contain its vengeance.
Read more- A profound diagnosis of a problem in American politics and culture in a clear, accessible style
- Challenges and rethinks the liberal tradition as it relates to questions of justice and punishment
- Offers a deep theory of revenge that is philosophically rich and psychologically subtle
Customer reviews
Not yet reviewed
Be the first to review
Review was not posted due to profanity
×Product details
- Date Published: April 2008
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9780521713863
- length: 260 pages
- dimensions: 227 x 150 x 15 mm
- weight: 0.37kg
- availability: Available
Table of Contents
Part I. Liberalism and the Anger of Punishment: The Motivation to Vengeance and Myths of Justice Reconsidered
Part II. Violence, Vengeance and the Rudiments of American Theodicy
Part III. The Nature of Vengeance: Memory, Self-Deception and the Movement from Terror to Pity
Part IV. Revenge and the Fallibility of the State: The Problem of Vengeance and Democratic Punishment Revisited or How America Should Punish.
Sorry, this resource is locked
Please register or sign in to request access. If you are having problems accessing these resources please email [email protected]
Register Sign in» Proceed
You are now leaving the Cambridge University Press website. Your eBook purchase and download will be completed by our partner www.ebooks.com. Please see the permission section of the www.ebooks.com catalogue page for details of the print & copy limits on our eBooks.
Continue ×Are you sure you want to delete your account?
This cannot be undone.
Thank you for your feedback which will help us improve our service.
If you requested a response, we will make sure to get back to you shortly.
×