[ExI] free-will, determinism, crime and punishment

[gts]

On Sun, 19 Aug 2007 11:06:32 -0400, Lee Corbin <lcorbin at rawbw.com> wrote:

>> But for retributive justice to make sense, there must be a causally
>> autonomous self who deserves punishment. If a prosecutor desires
>> retributive justice then the burden of proof is on him to prove the
>> defendant is a causally autonomous self.
>
> Someone *deserves* punishment?  Why?

It's part of the theory of retributive justice (which I am criticising).  
To believe in retributive justice is to believe that people are causally  
autonomous agents and that wrong-doers deserve their 'just desserts'.  
That, according to the theory, is how the scales of justice are balanced.

-gts