The US Penal System

Unit 4 DB: The U.S. Penal SystemUnit 4 DB: The U.S. Penal System
Given your understanding of justice, rewards, and punishments, do you think the penal system in the United States is a just one? Why or why not?

In this unit, we will extend our consideration of moral responsibility by considering different theories of reward and punishment. This is important for building a society that is effective in managing the actions of its citizens in a just manner. One important aspect of just societies that we will examine is the notion of human rights, which are meant to guard citizens against abuses of power in a society. We will also explore Jacques Thiroux’s humanitarian ethics, which is meant to be a reasonable synthesis of the theories we have been discussing and a reasonable solution to the problems associated with ethics.
Objectives:

Explain the importance of rewards and punishments in a theory of justice.
Identify different theories of punishment.
Critically evaluate the notion of human rights.
Determine basic principles necessary to the formation of any ethical system that will successfully apply to human morality.
Activities:

Read, view, and engage with Readings and Resources.
Complete activities in Pearson REVEL.
Actively participate in unit Discussion.
Complete and submit the Midterm Exam.
Content Market
Pearson REVEL eBook – click here for access
Read these chapters in the Pearson REVEL eBook. Click on the link above to access it.

Thiroux, J. P. & Krasemann, K. W. (2017). Ethics: Theory and practice. Hoboken, NJ: Pearson.

Chapter 7: Reward and Punishment
Chapter 8: Setting Up a Moral System
Additional Resources:

What Is Justice?: Crash Course Philosophy #40
Duration: 10:14
User: CrashCourse – Added: 12/19/16

Supplemental Resources:

Publisher PowerPoints:

Chapter Seven Chapter Seven – Alternative Formats
Chapter Eight Chapter Eight – Alternative Formats