This Element addresses the potential contributions of neuroscience, and the brain sciences more generally, to criminal justice decision-making and policy. It distinguishes between three different areas and domains of investigation in neurolaw: assessment, intervention, and revision.
This Element examines the concept of moral responsibility as it is used in contemporary philosophical debates and explores the justifiability of the moral practices associated with it, including moral praise/blame, retributive punishment, and the reactive attitudes of resentment and indignation.
Within the criminal justice system, one of the most prominent justifications for legal punishment is retributivism. This book argues against retributivism and develops an alternative for addressing criminal behavior that is ethically defensible and practical. It will interest philosophers, criminologists, forensic psychologists, and legal scholars.