Punishment

Uncommon card · No. 197458

Punishment is the imposition of an undesirable or unpleasant outcome upon an individual or group, as a response for breaking some norm or rule. The term punishment is used both within and outside of the criminal justice context. For example, punishment outside of criminal law can include child discipline measures or conscious or subconscious impositions of unpleasant measures in a relationship. A variety of philosophical theories have been developed to justify punishment. Important views argue that punishment deters wrongdoing, rehabilitates offenders, incapacitates the dangerous, or gives justice to those who deserve it. Moral justifications of punishment are found even in ancient civilisations, with Aristotle writing extensively of the ethical implications of imposing pain onto an individual or group. Punishment can differ in its degree of severity, and may include sanctions such as reprimands, removing privileges, deprivation of liberty, fines, incarcerations, ostracism and social shunning...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Joshua Jebb, Public domain