Posted: May 14, 2020 2:24 pm
Hermit wrote:zoon wrote:If an individual who has broken a rule was coerced into doing so, then there’s no point in going to the trouble of punishing them.
Behaviour conditioning via aversion therapy works just as well without having to invoke free will, personal responsibility, blame and the entire moralistic crap that goes with it.
The point is surely to apply some influence to change the antisocial behaviour. Rehabilitation, incarceration, fines, social pressure, counselling economic aid, training, medication, surgery etc. These are all a little coercive. If you believe too much in free will you should reject all these on the basis that your actions were freely and independently willed. Something unspecified that is immune to circumstances will still be just as free to re-offend.