The Letter of the Law: Contemporary Debates on Language, Dignity and the Punished Body

by Rachel Franks (Editor), Janice Robertson (Editor)

Ideas about good and evil were first articulated in ancient times, generating a discourse around the punishment of wrongdoers. From the earliest spectacles of punishment to the most contemporary displays of the punishers and the punished, societies have realised and have reimagined an incredibly diverse range of ways to punish human beings. Superimposed upon the practices of punishment are the debates around the purpose of punishment as well as the types of punishments utilised and the severity of those punishments. This volume, through an inter-disciplinary approach, explores the concepts that surround punishment focusing on the language of punishment, the dignity of those being punished and the different ways in which the human body is traumatised through punitive practices some which are inflicted by others and some of which are self-inflicted. The result of this inter-disciplinary approach is a text that provides both students and scholars with opportunities to engage with a well-known set of ideas from a range of new perspectives.

242 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2014