Plato's Penal Code: Tradition, Controversy, and Reform in Greek Penology (Clarendon Paperbacks) - Couverture souple

Saunders, Trevor J.

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 0198149603 ISBN 13 : 9780198149606

Editeur : Oxford University Press, 1994

Synopsis

The ancient Greeks were vigorous critics of their own culture. Their literature is full of debate about punishment: who should inflict it on whom, for what offence, and in what form. Yet few questioned the traditional orthodoxy that it ought to be primarily retributive. The great exception was Plato. Building on certain insights of Socrates and Protagoras, he advocated a strictly reformative penology, cast in medical terms and designed to `cure' the offender's mental state.

This book first traces the development of Greek ideas and controversies about punishment from Homer to Plato. It then demonstrates in detail how in his Laws Plato attempts to give concrete expression to his radical new penology by in effect rewriting the Athenian penal code. His laws of homicide, wounding, assault, theft, heresy, and military and legal offences, are subjected to close analysis, and special attention is given to the variations in punishments which he constantly makes according to the social status of the offender.

The ancient problem of the purpose of punishment is still of relevance to contemporary society. This exposition of Plato's instructive and important attempt to solve it, is therefore written with the needs of non-specialists very much in mind. The complex material is lucidly set out, and key Greek terms are transliterated and explained.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

The ancient Greeks were vigorous critics of their own culture. Their literature is full of debate about punishment: who should inflict it on whom, for what offence, and in what form. Yet few questioned the traditional orthodoxy that it ought to be primarily retributive. The great exception was Plato. Building on certain insights of Socrates and Protagoras, he advocated a strictly reformative penology, cast in medical terms and designed to `cure' the offender's mental state. This book traces the development of Greek ideas and controversies about punishement from Homer to Plato. It then demonstrates in detail how in his Laws Plato attempts to give concrete expression to his radical new penology by in effect rewriting the Athenian penal code. The ancient problem of the purpose of punishment is still of relevance to contempary society. This expostion of Plato's instructive and important attempt to solve it is therefore written with the needs of non-specialists very much in mind. The complex material is lucidly set out, and key Greek terms are transliterated and explained.

Revue de presse

Quite simply, essential reading. (Greece and Rome)

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Oxford University Press
• Date d'édition: 1994
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0198149603
• ISBN 13: 9780198149606
• Reliure: Broché
• Numéro d'édition: 1
• Nombre de pages: 432
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: Ufficio Anagrafiche Messaggerie; ufficio.anagrafiche@meli.it; ; Via Verdi, 8; Assago Milano; 20090; Italie