Robert Campbell (University of California, Los Angeles): Publications - PhilPeople

University of California, Los Angeles
Department of Philosophy

Doctoral student

APA Western Division

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Los Angeles, California, United States of America

Areas of Interest

Moral Psychology

Normative Ethics

Social and Political Philosophy

20

Followability, Necessity, and Excuse: Interpreting Kant’s Penal Theory
Kantian Review 1-18. forthcoming.

Philosophers traditionally interpret Kant as a retributivist, but modern interpreters, with reference to Kant’s theory of justice and problematic passages, instead propose penal theories that mix retributive and deterrent features. Although these mixed penal theories are substantively compelling and capture the Kantian spirit, their dual aspects lead to a justificatory conflict that generates an apparent dilemma. To resolve this dilemma and clear the ground for these mixed theories, I will outli…Read more
Philosophers traditionally interpret Kant as a retributivist, but modern interpreters, with reference to Kant’s theory of justice and problematic passages, instead propose penal theories that mix retributive and deterrent features. Although these mixed penal theories are substantively compelling and capture the Kantian spirit, their dual aspects lead to a justificatory conflict that generates an apparent dilemma. To resolve this dilemma and clear the ground for these mixed theories, I will outline and reinterpret Kant’s penal theory by situating it in his broader moral and political philosophy. This move grounds the followability requirement, which is necessary to resolve the dilemma.

Immanuel Kant