Robert A. Ferguson Reihenfolge der Bücher (Chronologisch)

America's criminal justice system is fundamentally flawed, with the U.S. having the highest per capita incarceration rate globally. Over the past two decades, incarceration rates have surged by 500 percent, leading to harsh sentences, overcrowded prisons, dangerous conditions, and ineffective rehabilitation programs. Police and prosecutors often operate in the shadows of the legal system, sometimes accepting the status quo or profiting from it. While courts define punishment as "time served," this fails to capture the true suffering of prisoners. Robert Ferguson, a distinguished law professor, examines this extensive punishment regime by drawing insights from philosophy, history, and literature. He uncovers the hidden motivations behind the desire to punish, which complicates our understanding of its purpose, and highlights how punishment regimes tend to escalate beyond their initial intentions. Ferguson emphasizes the disconnection between our ability to measure pain and the accuracy of penalties imposed. By shifting the focus from legal debates to the genuine experiences of prisoners, he challenges the American public to confront the reality of the prison system. Are we truly aware of the conditions within our prisons, or are we simply indifferent or misinformed? Recognizing the suffering of prisoners and understanding the actions of those who punish are essential steps toward creating a more just system.

Written by leading scholars of American history, this volume examines key themes and ideologies central to the formation of the United States. David Womersley’s introduction discusses Edmund Burke’s theories on property rights and government, laying the groundwork for the themes of liberty explored throughout the book. Jack Greene’s case study on Jamaica highlights the colonies' influence over their governance in “Of Liberty and the Colonies.” Robert Ferguson investigates the interplay between religious and legal concepts of liberty in “The Dialectic of Liberty.” Barry Shain supports Ferguson’s argument by exploring the significant impact of religion on the colonists’ outlook in “Religious Conscience and Original Sin.” John Danford analyzes the Founders' economic views in relation to the Enlightenment in “Riches Valuable at All Times and to All Men,” emphasizing their preference for established governance over untested theories. R. G. Frey discusses conflicting viewpoints between moral sense theory and natural rights in “Moral Sense Theory and the Appeal to Natural Rights.” David Wootton presents an opposing view, suggesting that Enlightenment ideas shaped the Founders' innovative yet resistant system in “Liberty, Metaphor, and Mechanism.” Ronald Hamowy pays tribute to the intellectual force of American affairs in “Scottish Thought and the American Revolution.” Lance Banning examines revolutionary divisions regarding liberty i