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Punishment, object of
(3,167 words)

1. Concept

The object of punishment is the goal that legitimizes its imposition. Theories of punishment and its objects concern themselves with the function, purpose, and legitimacy of state punishment in consideration of the aims of government and society or, more abstractly, the justification of punishment as a reaction to attributable wrongdoing.

The distinctio…

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Deutsch, Andreas, “Punishment, object of”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 09 June 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_028374>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20210107



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