Episode 81: Against Retribution
Alexa and Yoel discuss a recent article, solo-authored by Alexa, that argues for abandoning retribution as a goal of the criminal justice system. In the article, Alexa claims that "who is blameworthy?" is a question for the social sciences, but one they're ill-equipped to answer.
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Show Notes
Alexa moonlights as a guest and answers Yoel's questions about her recent paper, in which she argues that the criminal justice system should abandon retribution. Alexa claims that when we ask if someone is blameworthy, we are asking social scientific questions: Were they rational? Were they being coerced? Were they acting out of character? We discuss some aspects of the social scientific evidence - from vignettes about soaping windows to group-to-individual inference - and consider whether it can provide satisfying answers. And, Yoel challenges Alexa to consider whether her utopian vision might have unintended consequences.
Plus, we talk about Canadian truckers, and Alexa keeps her valentine's day collage shrouded in mystery.
Links:
- Two Psychologists F. on Untappd
- PsyArXiv Preprints | The limitations of social science as the arbiter of blame: An argument for abandoning retribution
- Spa Packages | Relaxation & Well-being | Bota Bota, spa on a boat
- Was Canada Trucker Protest a Blip, or the Start of Something Bigger? - The New York Times