November 2009
4 posts
The Japere
The Prologe of The Japeres Tale
Whan atte ende was the Cookes tale,
The Knyght, riden forward, done heil,
Upon the rode, he seyde he coude seie
Walken slou toward oure compaignye
An asse with a bodi on its rigg leien
Parchaunce, he seyde, this persoun was sleinge.
He spored his hors and wende forto lok,
He tornedde about and feue wordes spok.
He spored his hors and camen bak oure wei,
We...
2 tags
Reprobation & Retribution
Joel Feinberg, in his article entitled “The Expressive Function of Punishment”, describes what he believes are the two aspects of punishment: hard treatment and reprobation. Feinberg argues that in order for any punishment to truly “fit the crime”, it is only right that the hard treatment inflicted on the criminal – fines, imprisonment, &c. – be as minimal as is...
2 tags
Losers & Winners
Keeping Attempted and Successful Crimes Separate 1
While there is consensus on the necessity of punishing criminal offences, there continues to be some dissonance on the issue of how much we should punish those actually convicted of serious crimes like murder. This paper is an attempt to better understand the various views on this issue, with a special focus on the reasons offered to reform our...
2 tags
The Girl in the Batik Dress
I was just about to tap her shoulder when I heard a voice screeching at us. It was Ammah. “Come inside now!” She was mad, I could tell, but I didn’t understand why.
“But we’re playing Lock and Key,” Kaneth whined, still leaning against the banyan tree.
“Now! All three of you!”
I let my hand drop to my side. I turned around and faced the house. “Okay, okay. We’re coming,” I said. She...