Foundations of criminal law

Foundations of Criminal Law presents a comprehensive examination of the general part of criminal law -- that is, the foundational elements of liability -- through interdisciplinary readings drawn primarily from law, philosophy, and the behavioral sciences. The selections range from classical treatments to contemporary approaches, and the topics include -- among others -- theories of punishment, mental states, causation, justification and excuse, and sentencing. A general introduction precedes each section and the readings are followed by comments and questions designed to engage the reader analytically.

• Introduction
• 1 The Crime Problem: Theory And Evidence
• 1.1 Why is Crime Attractive? Seductions and Repulsions of Crime Jack Katz
• 1.2 Facts
• Facts a Theory of Crime Ought to Fit John Braithwaite
• 1.3 Explanations and Proposals
• Causes of Violence John Monahan
• Malign Neglect Michael Tonry
• What to Do about Crime James Q. Wilson
• 2 Crime and Punishment
• 2.1 The Nature of Punishment and the Boundaries of the Criminal Law
• Punishment Kent Greenawalt
• An Economic Theory of the Criminal Law Richard Posner
• The Nature of a Theory of the Criminal Law Michael S. Moore
• 2.2 The Moral Justification for Punishment
• 2.2.1 Introduction
• A Taxonomy of Purposes for Punishment Michael S. Moore
• 2.2.2 Utilitarianism
• An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation Jeremy Bentham
• The Argument for Retributivism Michael S. Moore
• 2.2.3 Retributivism
• The Metaphysical Elements of Justice Immanuel Kant
• Persons and Punishment Herbert Morris
• The Moral Worth of Retribution Michael S. Moore
• 2.2.4 Humanitarian or Scientific Alternatives to Punishment: The Rehabilitative Ideal
• The Crime of Punishment Karl Menninger
• Beyond Freedom and Dignity B.F. Skinner
• The Humanitarian Theory of Punishment C.S. Lewis
• 2.2.5 Attempts to Integrate the Divergent Theories of Punishment
• Punishment and Responsibility H.L.A. Hart
• 2.3 What to Punish
• 2.3.1 Getting at the Question and Its Possible Answers
• Harm to Others Joel Feinberg
• 2.3.2 The "Soft Harm" of Psychic or Moral Offense as a Justification of Criminial Legislation
• Offense to Others Joel Feinberg
• 2.3.3 The Paternalistic Concern about Harm to the Actors Whose Behavior is Prohibited
• Paternalism Gerald Dworkin
• 2.3.4 Using the Criminal Law to Punish or Prevent Moral Wrongdoing
• Harmless Wrongdoing Joel Feinberg
• A Theory of Criminal Law Theories Michael S. Moore
• 3 Principal Liability
• 3.1 Introduction
• The Criminal Law and the Luck of the Draw Sanford H. Kadish
• The Independent Moral Significance of Wrongdoing Michael S. Moore
• 3.2 Acts and Omissions
• Crimes of Omission Leo Katz
• Interfering Shelly Kagan
• Act and Crime Michael S. Moore
• 3.3 Causation
• Causation and the Law H.L.A. Hart and A.M. Honore
• 3.4 Legality
• The Principle of Legality Michael S. Moore
• Legality, Vagueness, and the Construction of Penal Statutes John Jeffries
• 3.5 Mental States
• The Explanation of Human Action Alexander Rosenberg
• Responsibility Richard A. Wasserstrom
• 4 The General Part: Accomplice, Attempt, and Conspiracy Liability
• 4.1 Accomplice Liability
• Aid and Comfort Leo Katz
• Complicity, Cause, and Blame: A Study in the Interpretation of Doctrine Sanford H. Kadish
• The Theory of Derivative Liability George Fletcher
• 4.2 Attempt Liability
• Constructing a Theory of Impossible Attempts George Fletcher
• 5 Justification and Excuse
• 5.1 Distinguishing Justification and Excuse
• The Perplexing Borders of Justification and Excuse Kent Greenawalt
• 5.2 Justification: Defensive Force
• Putative Self-Defense and Rules of Imputation in Defense of the Battered Woman B. Sharon Byrd
• The Enterprise of Prevention and the Principle of Proportional Response Larry Alexander
• 5.3 Excuse Generally
• Brain