Other Opportunities

  • Expanding the Communicative Theory of Punishment

    In conjunction with the Honor’s Program, the Philosophy Department is happy to welcome Professor Eddy Nahmias, Professor of Philosophy and of Neuroscience at Georgia State University, who will be speaking this Friday on:

    "How to Do Things with Punishment: Expanding the Communicative Theory of Punishment"

    Expressivist and communicative theories of punishment argue that the function and justification of punishment is to communicate something about the crime to the wrongdoer (such as “you must repent”) or perhaps to the rest of society (such as “we condemn such crimes”). These theories have the potential to explain many of the aims of other theories of punishment, at least if they expand the communicative moves we make with punishment. I use the apparatus of Searle’s speech act theory to develop these communicative moves. I suggest that this expanded communicative theory of punishment aligns with P.F. Strawson’s account of the reactive attitudes and with a plausible account of the evolution of our punitive psychology, both of which emphasize that the aim of punishment is to communicate with wrongdoers in ways that ultimately aim to maintain and improve social relationships.

    The talk will be held on Friday, Oct. 21 from 4:00-6:00 in Laurel Hall, Room 101.

    If you have any questions please contact Mitch Green (mitchell.green@uconn.edu) in the Department of Philosophy.

    For more information, contact: Mitch Green at mitchell.green@uconn.edu

If you have any questions, please contact Honors Programming and Events at 860-486-1616.