ABSTRACT
This chapter sets out a broad and general introduction to theories of punishment. It begins by raising the question of what a theory of punishment might be expected to cover and distinguishes between empirical enquiries – investigations into the origins of punishment and why punishments take the form that they do in particular times and places – and normative accounts, which are concerned with the moral justifications of punishment. The chapter concludes with some reflections on the relationship between these kinds of enquiry.
