If I possess a personal belief in determinism, it will profoundly affect my views of crime and punishment. Determinism is the philosophical idea that causes predetermines all events and choices outside our control (Prodanović, 2023). In other words, people’s actions are determined by forces beyond themselves, and they lack genuine freedom to decide for themselves. Looking at crime and punishment through this lens implies that criminal offenders are not responsible for their actions but must be held accountable due to the external factors that led them down that path.
In terms of traditional societal justice systems, such as prisons or probation services, believing in determinism could lead me to question why these punitive measures exist when people cannot help but conform to the determined paths prescribed by nature. Perhaps alternative forms of correction would be more appropriate such as rehabilitation programs or restorative justice models, which focus on understanding why people commit crimes rather than simply punishing them. Adopting this perspective will likely shift my views towards emphasizing mercy rather than retribution when considering responses to criminal activities.
I think people are both responsible and not responsible for their crimes due to deterministic forces beyond their control. While individuals should be held accountable for criminal actions, it is essential to consider the environmental, economic, and social conditions that may have contributed to the external causes of their actions. By doing so, people can develop more effective crime prevention and deterrence strategies, which emphasize understanding why people commit crimes rather than punishing them without considering the determinism in various situations.
References
Prodanović, S. (2023). Habitus and higher-order desires: Going beyond determinism. The American Sociologist. Web.