ABSTRACT
Retributivism is perhaps the most familiar and most misunderstood theory of punishment.1 It is important to note that retributivism is not vengeance, nor is it any one single position. Retributivism is a rich, venerable tradition with a variety of supporters who each defend different retributivist variations. The aim of this chapter is to shed light on precisely what marks out a retributivist theory from other theories of punishment, as well as highlight the most important varieties of retributivism.
