Philosophy of law

The study of the nature and interpretation of laws.

Who should be included in the political decision-making process?

‘If I can be punished for something, should I expect to be included in discussions about the thing I could be punished for, along with the kind of punishment that will be meted out? For example, if I live in a society where ‘being aggressive’ is considered a criminal act, should there ever be a […]

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Is vengeance ever justifiable?

Thank you, Coffee Jelly, for a great question! Vengeance is usually defined as punishment inflicted or retribution exacted for an injury or wrong (thank you, Google). The question is: Is an act of vengeance – call it, X – ever justifiable? An action can be justified in different ways. Is X legally justifiable? That would

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Would the world be a better place if sharing fake news/misinformation on social media was made a criminal offence?

Thank you, Ela Özcan, for such a tough question! I’ll do my best to break it down and give you the best answer I can. Online misinformation is a pretty hot topic: it intoxicates political debate, radicalizes people with different opinions against each other, and distracts them from what is actually going on in the world.

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If I committed a crime but then travelled back in time to before the crime, could I still be convicted?

Thank you, Robin Pickering, for a great question! Hopefully this helps… This question seems to have three major dimensions. The first is mainly about what would happen if you went back in time regardless of your wrongdoing. The second is about how we define your responsibility for your wrongdoing – what we need in order

If I committed a crime but then travelled back in time to before the crime, could I still be convicted? Read More

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