+ All Categories
Home > Documents > Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies Toward a Genealogy of American...

Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies Toward a Genealogy of American...

Date post: 13-Sep-2015
Category:
Upload: diego-alonso-collantes
View: 223 times
Download: 2 times
Share this document with a friend
Description:
Fundamentos del castigo estatal en las democracias liberales modernas
24
Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward a Genealogy of American Criminal Law Page 1 of 24 PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015. All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of a monograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy ). Subscriber: Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015 University Press Scholarship Online Oxford Scholarship Online Philosophical Foundations of Criminal Law R.A. Duff and Stuart Green Print publication date: 2011 Print ISBN-13: 9780199559152 Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: May 2011 DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199559152.001.0001 Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward a Genealogy of American Criminal Law Markus D Dubber DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199559152.003.0005 Abstract and Keywords This chapter focuses on how we should conceive of the inquiry into the foundations of criminal law, whether legal, philosophical, historical, genealogical, or political. It argues that we cannot hope to develop a foundational account of the criminal law without an account of what, if anything, legitimizes the state power that underlies the criminal law — an inquiry that has mostly escaped the attention of American thinkers both at the time the nation was founded and in the years since. The chapter is organized as follows. Section 1 considers various ways of conceiving of an inquiry into the foundations of criminal law. Section 2 explores the distinction between modes of foundational inquiry by considering the significance of the Rechtsgut principle in German criminal law science, on one hand, and in the jurisprudence of the German Constitutional Court, on the other. Section 3 presents preliminary remarks on an inquiry into the foundations of American criminal law. Keywords: American criminal law, foundational inquiry, Rechtsgut principle, German criminal law
Transcript
  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 1 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    UniversityPressScholarshipOnlineOxfordScholarshipOnline

    PhilosophicalFoundationsofCriminalLawR.A.DuffandStuartGreen

    Printpublicationdate:2011PrintISBN-13:9780199559152PublishedtoOxfordScholarshipOnline:May2011DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199559152.001.0001

    FoundationsofStatePunishmentinModernLiberalDemocracies:TowardaGenealogyofAmericanCriminalLawMarkusDDubber

    DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199559152.003.0005

    AbstractandKeywords

    Thischapterfocusesonhowweshouldconceiveoftheinquiryintothefoundationsofcriminallaw,whetherlegal,philosophical,historical,genealogical,orpolitical.Itarguesthatwecannothopetodevelopafoundationalaccountofthecriminallawwithoutanaccountofwhat,ifanything,legitimizesthestatepowerthatunderliesthecriminallawaninquirythathasmostlyescapedtheattentionofAmericanthinkersbothatthetimethenationwasfoundedandintheyearssince.Thechapterisorganizedasfollows.Section1considersvariouswaysofconceivingofaninquiryintothefoundationsofcriminallaw.Section2exploresthedistinctionbetweenmodesoffoundationalinquirybyconsideringthesignificanceoftheRechtsgutprincipleinGermancriminallawscience,ononehand,andinthejurisprudenceoftheGermanConstitutionalCourt,ontheother.Section3presentspreliminaryremarksonaninquiryintothefoundationsofAmericancriminallaw.

    Keywords:Americancriminallaw,foundationalinquiry,Rechtsgutprinciple,Germancriminallaw

  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 2 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    Thesearchforfoundationsofcriminallawcanbeaworthwhileproject,evenanimportantone,boththeoreticallyandpractically.Whetheritmakessensetolimit(p.84) thisprojecttoasearchforphilosophicalfoundationsisanotherquestion.Thephilosophicalnessofthefoundationalinquiryeitherundercutsitoraddsnothingtoit,dependingonwhatonemeansbyphilosophical.Itundercutsthefoundationalinquiryifphilosophicalistakentoimplyanahistorical,ifnotunhistorical,modeofinquirybecausethesearchforfoundationsisessentially,andimportantly,alsohistorical.Ifphilosophicalsimplymeanstheoretical,orperhapsconceptual,thenitaddsnothingtotheinquiry,exceptperhapsanaspirationsomehowtoreachbeyond,orbeneath,empiricalhistoricalresearch,whateverthatwouldbe.

    Thepointofafoundationalproject,asIenvisionit,wouldnotbehistoricalinthesenseofcapturingwieeswirklichgewesen,nordescriptive,nomatterhowrichandrichlyconceptualthatdescriptionmightturnouttobe,butfunctional,and,ultimately,critical.Thepointofaninquiryintothefoundationsofcriminallaw,onthisaccount,istoenableandtofacilitatecriticalanalysisofthelegitimacyofstatepunishment.1

    Section1considersvariouswaysofconceivingofaninquiryintothefoundationsofcriminallaw.Section2exploresthedistinctionbetweenmodesoffoundationalinquirybyconsideringthesignificanceoftheRechtsgutprincipleinGermancriminallawscience,ononehand,andinthejurisprudenceoftheGermanConstitutionalCourt,ontheother.Section3presentspreliminaryremarksonaninquiryintothefoundationsofAmericancriminallaw.

    1PHILOSOPHICAL,HISTORICAL,GENEALOGICALInitially,itmaybehelpfultothinkofthefoundationalinquiryIhaveinmindaswalkingthelinebetweenhistoricalandphilosophicalsearchesforfoundations.Ifweneedanameforthisinquiry,wemightcallitgenealogical(or,ifyouprefer,historical-philosophical).Onedoesn'thavetobeaFoucauldian(orNietzschean)toappreciatetheattempttocarveoutanalternativetowhatFoucaultcalledtheantiquarianandmetaphysicalsearchesforfoundations,whichreallysimplyaresharpenedversionsofhistoricalandphilosophicalmodesofinquiry.2FoucaultchannellingNietzschehasaveryspecific,andsomewhatelusive,viewofwhatgenealogyis,orratherdoes,thatwecansafelyignore,andleavetotheFoucaultscholars,becauseitdoesn'taffect(p.85) andmayevenobscurethemaininsight:thatwhatwemightcallafunctional,andwhatFoucaultcallseffective,inquiryintothefoundationsofcriminallaw,beitlabelledhistoryorphilosophy(orgenealogy,oranythingelse),hasapoint,namelytofacilitate,andinfacttoenable,thecriticalanalysisofthepracticeofpunishmentasanexerciseofthelawpower(Rechtsmacht)ofthestate.3

    Intheend,itmakesnodifferencewhetherthisinquiryislabelledhistorical,philosophical,orgenealogical,theoretical,practical,orevenlegalorpolitical;whatmattersisthepointoftheexercise,whichisascentraltotheenlightenment'scriticalprojectasthethreatandinflictionofpenalviolencebythestateuponitsconstituentsisfaciallyinconsistentwiththeraisondtre,andthelegitimatoryfoundation,oftheliberalstateundertheruleoflaw(Rechtsstaat).Putanotherway,ifthestate'spenalpowerisn'tsubjectedtofoundationalcritique,thecriticalanalysisofstatepowerhasfailedtotackleitsmostimportant,and

  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 3 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    mostdifficult,task.

    Thisproject,thoughsweepinginscope,isalsolimited,evenparochial,inseveralsensesanditisimportanttobeawareofitslimitations,lestthesearchforfoundationsofcriminallawbecomeatimelessandspacelessexerciseinunintentionalmetaphysics.Thefirstlimitationislegal,thesecondpolitical,forlackofbetterwords.

    Thesearchforfoundationsofcriminallawis,firstandforemost,asearchforfoundationsofaparticularsystemof(criminal)law,whichdefinesthesubjectofinquiry.Inmostcases,thesubjectofinquiryisthesearcher'sdomestic(own)criminallawsystem,thoughthisisnotalwaysmadeexplicit.Itis,ofcourse,possible,thoughquitedifficult,toanalysecriticallyaforeigncriminallawsystemor,lesstricky,totakeacomparativeapproachtothecriticalanalysisofthecriminallawsystemwithwhichoneismostfamiliar,usingcomparisontounearthandhighlightfeaturesofthesystemunderanalysisthatotherwisemightremainhiddeninplainview.4Thiscomparativemethod,thoughpotentiallyuseful,isnotaprerequisite;onemayidentifysystemicfoundationsforuseincriticalanalysisthroughimmanentinquiry.

    Atthesametime,themethodofinquiry,includingitstoolsandpurpose,mustbeidentified,onceagainlimitingtheproject'sscope.Themethodofinquiryislesslimitedinscope,yetstillparochial.ThefoundationalpoliticalinquiryIhaveinmindisessentiallyanenlightenmentproject.Itislimitedtothosepoliticalsystemsthatprofessacommitmenttoenlightenmentidealsoflegitimacy,whereofcoursetheseidealsthemselvesaresubjecttocriticalanalysis,alongwiththeirmanifestationinparticularstatepractices.Iconsidertheconceptofpersonalautonomy,orself-government,(p.86) tolieatthecoreoftheenlightenmentcriticalprojectinallspheresofethicallife,includingmoralityandpolitics.5Othersmaydisagree,bothaboutthecentralityofautonomyandaboutthespecificcontoursoftheconceptofautonomyitself.Inmyview,autonomyisbothaformalandsubstantiveconceptthatreferstobothamodeofinquiry(orstructuralprinciple)andtoaparticularconceptofthepersonhoodthatispresupposedbythatmodeofinquiry:criticalself-analysisbypersonsthroughanexerciseofsomecapacityforautonomypresupposesthatpersonspossessorarethoughttopossessthatcapacity.6Inthisway,autonomyisboththemeansoftheinquiryanditsend,whichisthenusedtosubjectother,lessbasic,componentsofthelegalsysteminquestiontocriticalanalysis,formallyandsubstantively.

    Itmayofcoursebepossibletolaunchadifferentfoundationalinquiry,onethatseeksoutthefoundationsofadifferentclusterofpoliticalsystemsandthepenalpowerofthestate(orwho-orwhateverholdsgovernmentalpower)withinthemthatarenotdefinedbytheircommitmenttoenlightenmentideals.Theocraticregimes,orotherauthoritariansystems,includingtotalitarianstates,characterizedbytheradicalinequalitybetweengovernorandgoverned,maybefoundtohavecertainorganizingprinciples,oratleastcommonfeaturesordogmas,thoughtheiressentialheteronomyprecludesmeaningfulcriticalanalysisinlightofthesenorms.7(Ofcourse,theabsenceofprinciplesitselfwouldproveilluminating.)Atanyrate,here,too,acomparativeapproachmayprovehelpful,atamoreabstractlevel,usingthesealternativesystemsaspointsofcontrastandreference,

  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 4 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    eveniftheanalysisofaradicallydifferentsystemonitsowntermswouldprovedifficult.Insofarastheenlightenmentevolvedasacritiqueofthesepoliticalsystems,theboundariesbetweenhistoricalandcontemporary(philosophical)analysiswillblur;theenlightenment'scriticalproject,inthissense,cannotbefullyappreciatedwithoutreferencetothemodesofstatepoweritarosetocritiqueinthefirstplace.

    Itisimportanttorecognize,then,thatthehistoricalandthephilosophicalinquiryintofoundations,orratherthehistoricalandphilosophicalaspectsofthegenealogicalinquiryintofoundations,arebothdistinctandcomplementary.Historicalinquiryintofoundationsofpenalpracticeextendsbeyondtheenlightenment;atthesametime,enlightenmentprinciples,whichguidephilosophicalanalysis,cannotbeunderstoodwithoutreferencetothepracticesthatprecededtheenlightenment.(p.87) Obviously,thepowerandpracticeofdiscipline,inhouseholdslargeandsmall,longprecedestheenlightenment,anditshistoryinformsthepowerandpracticeofcontemporarypunishment.Eveniftheenlightenmentgeneratedaradicallynew,evenrevolutionary,conceptionofpunishmentthatdoesnotproceedfromandreasserttheessentialsuperiorityofthepunishervis--visthepunished,thepowerandpracticeofdisciplinedidnotdisappearasamatteroffactfromtherealmofprivate,orpublic,governance,simplythroughtheemergenceofanewsetoflegitimacyrequirements(mostnotablythatpunishmentremainconsistentwiththeequalautonomyofallpersons).

    Inthiscontext,itmaybehelpfultodistinguishbetweenasearchforfoundationsandonefororigins.Thegenealogicalinquiryintofoundationsisalso,butnotexclusively,historical.Foundingmomentsaresignificantnotbecausetheyputinstoneastaticstateofaffairs,butinsofarastheyframeandfacilitateacontinuousprocessofcreationandaction.Ifwepursuethefoundationalmetaphoralittlefurther,whilefoundationsprecedetheconstructionofthebuilding,whatmattersmoreisthattheysetbasicparametersfor,andalsomakepossible,itsexistence.Foundationsarebothpartofthestructure,anddistinctfromit.Morethanonesuperstructuremaybecompatiblewithasinglefoundation,yetsomearemorecompatiblewithitthanothers,andsomearealtogetherincompatible.Thepriceforerectingasuperstructurethatdoesnotfititsfoundation,andevenexceedsit,isinstabilityandultimatelycollapseunderstrain.Itispossibletochangethesuperstructure,notonlybyaddingtoit,internallyorexternally,butalsobyrebuildingit,evenfromthebottomup;changingthefoundationisnotimpossible,butwithgreatereffort,andatgreatercost.

    Foundations,unlikeorigins,arenotdiscoveredasonemightdiscovertheoriginofariverbyfollowingitupstream.Foundationsaremade(byFoundersGenerations,FoundingFathers,andthelike),andmayberediscoveredremadeorreconstructedevenifthesuperstructureabovethemhasbeenlost,orhasbeenobscuredovertime.Genealogicalinquirydoesnotpresupposesomeexternalrealitythatawaitsdiscoverythroughhistoricalorphilosophicalinquiry;itisnotanempiricalscience,eventhoughitsiftsthroughmanifestationsofhumanactivitytounearthitsfundamentallayer,itselfamanifestationofhumanactivity.

  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 5 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    Heregenealogicalinquiryisusefullydistinguishedfromthepursuitofthestudyofstateactionintheformoflaw,andmorespecificallycriminallaw,aslegalscience.Legalscience,asitwaspractisedintheUnitedStatesinthelatenineteenthandearlytwentiethcenturiesandisstillpursuedinGermany,isanempiricalscience,inthepursuitoffactsaboutwhat(the)lawis.8Americanlegalscienceusedthe(p.88) laboratoryoflawlibrariesfilledwithreportsofappellatecourtopinionstodistilldoctrinalfactsaboutwhatthelawis.Germancriminallegalsciencecontinuestorelyon,andtorefine,discoveriesofontologicalfactsaboutwhatcriminallaw(andnotablycrime)is,whicharethenclaimedtogenerateacomprehensivedoctrinalsystem:Suchdiscoveriesinclude,forinstance,theontologicalstructureofcriminalconduct(ontologischeHandlungsstrukur),whichhasbeenfoundtorequireintentionality(Finalitt,literallyfinality)andtoaccountfortherelationshipbetweenactandomission,andthestructureofcriminalliability,notablythedistinctionbetweenunlawfulnessandguilt(orresponsibility)initsdoctrinalmanifestationofthedistinctionbetweenjustificationandexcuse.9

    Bycontrast,genealogicalinquiryincriminallawisbestthoughtofasseekingtorediscoverfoundationsthatarelegaland,ultimately,political,ratherthanontological,andthereforesusceptibletophilosophicaldiscovery:criminallawisregardedasapoliticalact,asoneinstanceofamodeofstategovernance(law)thatmanifestsstatepower.Asapoliticalact,itsfoundationsarepolitical,ielocatedwithintheprojectofstategovernmentasawhole.Aspolitical,thefoundationsofcriminallawarealsoman-made(or,rather,person-made)andthereforesubjecttodiscussionandagreement,todisagreementandcritique,bothactually(seeHabermas)andconstructively(seeKant'sandRawls'sthoughtexperiments).Certaincommitmentsmaybesobasicastobebeyond,orbeneath,negotiation,buttheyremaincommitmentsnonetheless,thoughasfoundationaltheircompromise,oroutrightrejection,willdrawthepoliticalprojectasawholeintoquestion,byweakening(compromising)orevendestroyingitsfoundation.

    2CRIMINALLAWSCIENCEANDPOLITICALLEGITIMACYThisdistinctionbetweenphilosophicalandpoliticalfoundationsofcriminallawmaybeillustratedbyadisputeabouttherelativesignificanceofbasictenetsofGermancriminallegalscience,asdiscoveredbyGermancriminallawscientists(ieGermancriminallawprofessors),andprinciplesofGermanconstitutionallaw,aspromulgatedbytheGermanConstitutionalCourtinlightoftheGermanBasicLaw.Thedisputearose,oratleastemerged,inawell-knownjudgmentinwhich(p.89) theConstitutionalCourtupheldtheconstitutionalityoftheincestprovisionintheGermanCriminalCode.10Theresultislesssignificantthanthereasoning,inthecourseofwhichtheCourtbrushedasideafundamentaltenetofGermanlegalscience,theRechtsgutprinciple,asconstitutionallyirrelevant,andinsteadinsistedonapplyingthestandardflexibleanddeferentialmeans-endsproportionalityanalysisofGermanconstitutionallawthattheCourthaddevelopedoverthesixdecadesofitsexistence.11

    AsdiscoveredbyGermancriminallawscience,theRechtsgutprincipledeclaressubjecttoconsiderablevariationamongdifferentversionsoftheprinciple,afactthatissignificantinitsownrightbutwhichwe'llignoreforpresentpurposesthatthecriminallawmay

  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 6 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    onlybeemployedtoprotectaRechtsgut(lawgood),andthatonlycertainobjectsqualifyasaRechtsgut.

    Standardconstitutionalanalysisunderthegeneralrubricofproportionality,bycomparisonifnotcontrast,lookstoseewhetherthestatuteunderreviewpursuesalegitimatepurposeanddoessoinareasonableway,withthelegislatureenjoyingconsiderableleewayonbothendsandmeans.TheCourt,then,sawitsjobintheincestcasesimplyascomingupwithalistofpurposes,anyorallofwhichcouldbereasonablyconsideredlegitimate(whichtheycould)andthencheckingwhetherthestatutecouldbeseenasreasonablyrelatedtothispurposeorthesepurposes(whichitcould).IntheCourt'sview,theRechtsgutconceptdidnotenterintotheanalysis.

    Inonereadingofthecase,itpittedonedoctrinalsystem(ofconstitutionallaw)againstanother(ofcriminallaw).Inthislight,theGermanConstitutionalCourtandGermancriminallawprofessors/scientistsareengagedinthesametypeofproject:asGermancriminallawscientistspondertheSeinofcrime,GermanConstitutionalCourtjudgesalongwithGermanconstitutionallawprofessors/scientistspondertheSeinofconstitution(orofdignity,liberty,twonessinoneness,12etc).

    Alternatively,andforourpurposesmorehelpfully,thecasecanbeseenassettingupacontrastbetween,ononehand,apoliticalinquiryintothelegitimacyofstatepowerbysubjectinganexerciseofthatpowerthroughpenallawtoscrutinyinlightofbasicconstitutionalprinciples,13and,ontheother,anapplicationoftheresultsof(p.90) aphilosophicalinquiryintothenatureofRechtsgutconductedbyexpertcriminallawscientistswithoutreferencetotheseconstitutionalprinciples.

    Ofcourse,otherpolitical,ratherthanontological,phenomenological,ormetaphysicalapproachestoRechtsguttheoryareeasilyimagined.Afterall,theRechtsgutprinciplecouldbesaidtoderivefromanaccountofstatepowerinaliberaldemocracycommittedtothemanifestationofRecht,orright,understoodastherecognitionoftheequalpersonhoodofstateconstituentsbasedontheirsharedcapacityforautonomy,orself-government.ItistruethatsuchanaccountoftheRechtsgut,thoughtheoreticallystraightforwardenough,wouldflyinthefaceoftheactualorigins,development,anddeploymentoftheconcept,whichwasdrivenbyanefforttoexpand,oratleasttoreflecttheexpansionof,thescopeofcriminallawbeyondthemanifestationandprotectionofpersonalright.14Whatmattersatthispoint,however,isnotwhetherapoliticalaccountofRechtsgutisultimatelyconvincing,butwhetheritispossible.Infact,tracesofapoliticalaccountofRechtsgutcanbefoundinrecentcontributionstoGermancriminallegalscience,aswellasinthedissentingopinionintheGermanConstitutionalCourt'sincestjudgment,authoredbyJudgeWinfriedHassemer,(notso)coincidentallyaleadingGermancriminallawprofessorandcriticalcontributortotheRechtsgutliterature.15Totakeafurtherstep,itshouldbepossibletointegrateapoliticalaccountofRechtsgutintothepoliticalaccountofconstitutionalitydevelopedbytheGermanConstitutionalCourt(oranyothersuchaccount),byestablishing(ratherthansimplyasserting)theRechtsgutconcept'sconstitutionalstatus.

  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 7 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    Nonetheless,itissignificantthatGermancriminallegalscientistshavemadefew,ifany,seriouseffortseithertoconstitutionalizetheRechtsgutprincipleoreventorecognizeitspoliticalfoundationwithinsomeaccountofthelegitimacyofstatepower,(p.91) apartfromitsstandingasaconstitutionallegalnorm.Thereareseveralexplanationsforthisfailure,includingsociologicaloneshavingtodowithstatusrelationshipsbetweenprofessorsandjudges,particularlypoliticallyappointedjudges(asopposedtoprofessionaljudgeswhorisethroughthejudicialbureaucracy,suchasjudgesontheGermanSupremeCourt)andthegeneraldeclineinstatusamongGermanprofessorsingeneral.

    Inthepresentcontext,themostnotableexplanationderivesfromthesensethatRechtsgutisaphilosophical,ratherthanapolitical,conceptthatisopentoontologicalinquirybyexpertsinthescienceofcriminallawie(German)criminallawprofessors.16Assuch,theRechtsgutisnotonlybeyondthediscretion,butbeyondthegrasp,ofConstitutionalCourtjudgesor,forthatmatter,ofconstitutionallawprofessors.TheymustcontentthemselveswithconsultingthediscoveriesofthoseexpertswhocanappreciatetheontologicalorDasein-relatedaspectsofRechtsgut.17Note,however,thatthereisnothingabouttheconceptofRechtsgutthatwouldmarkitasanexclusivelycriminallegalconcept;thislimitation,andtheclaimtocriminallawprofessorsparticularexpertiseinallthingsRechtsgut,insteadreflectsthelimited,andgenerallyapolitical,approachtotheconceptofRechtsgut(fromRechttoGuttoRechtsgut)inGermancriminallawscience.18

    Itistempting,thoughperhapsfacile,todismissthisontological-scientificinquiryintofoundationsofcriminallawforanynumberofreasons,includingthatitisself-serving,undemocratic,obscurantist,andanachronistic.19Butwhatmattershereisnotwhethertheontologicalsearchforfoundationsisworthwhileor(re)commendable,butwhatconstitutesitandmoreprecisely,whatdistinguishesitfromthesortofgenealogicalpoliticalinquiryIhaveinmind.Similarly,itdoesn'tmakeadifferencewhetherthepoliticalinquiryintofoundationsofcriminallawtakestheformofthesortofhands-offconstitutionalityanalysisfavouredbytheGermanConstitutionalCourtorofanattempttogroundtheRechtsgutinfoundationsoflegitimatestatepower.Whatmattersistogetasenseofthegenealogicalproject,ofitspointandmethod,incontradistinctiontootherfoundationalprojects,historicalorphilosophical.(p.92)

    3GENEALOGICALFOUNDATIONSOFAMERICANCRIMINALLAWAninquiryintothefoundationsofAmericancriminallawinparticular,beithistorical,philosophical,orgenealogical,facesanotherchallenge,asidefromclarifyingthenatureandfunctionofthefoundationalinquiryatstake.Definingthesubjectofthefoundationalinquiry,howeverframed,encountersthesamedifficultyfacedbyanydiscussionofAmericancriminallaw.Theriskisthatoneindeterminacyisreplacedbyanother;whileitisdifficulttospeaknon-metaphysicallyaboutfoundationsofcriminallaw,period,itisonlyslightlylessdifficulttospeaksensiblyaboutfoundationsofAmericancriminallaw,whichintheendmayprovetobesimplyanotherartificialconstructassembled,orpresupposed,forthesakeoftheoreticalinquiry.20

  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 8 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    Inanimportantsense,Americancriminallawnolongerexists,ifiteverdid.Despiteanever-growingbodyoffederalcriminallaw,criminallawintheUnitedStatesremainsprimarilyastatematter.Unlikeinothermodernliberaldemocracies,including,say,GermanyandCanada,thereisnosinglenationalcriminalcode(notevenoneasantiquatedandunsystematicasCanada'snineteenth-centuryStephenCode).TheclosestthingthereisandperhapseverhasbeentoabodyofAmericancriminallawis,ironically,anunenactedmodelcodedraftedbyaprivateorganizationoflawyers,judges,andacademicsdevotedtolawreform,theAmericanLawInstitute'sModelPenalandCorrectionalCode,conceivedintheinterbellumperiodduringthe1920sand1930sanddraftedbetween1952and1962underthedirectorshipofHerbertWechslerofColumbia.21

    Inaway,theModelPenalCodeisverymuchnotAmericancriminallaw,bothbecausenoAmericanjurisdictionadopteditinitsentirety(norwasitdesignedtobeadoptedintoto,ratherthantoprovidereform-mindedlegislatureswithablueprintforcriminallawreformnotunlikeotheroptimisticandprogressivehow-tomanualsofthetime,suchasNorvalMorrisandGordonHawkins'sHonestPolitician'sGuidetoCrimeControl22or,lessexplicitly,HerbertPacker'sLimitsoftheCriminalSanction23)andbecauseitwasspecificallyintendedasamodelcode,ie,asamodelforcomprehensivecriminallawreform,incontrasttotheALI'seffortsin(p.93) otherareas,notablytortsandcontracts,whereRestatementsofthelawweredeemedsufficient.TheModelCode,then,emphaticallywasnotwhatAmericancriminallawis,orwas,butwhatitshouldbeoratbest,whatitcouldbeatitsverybest.Atanyrate,sincetheModelCodewasnotadoptedeverywhere,orinfactanywhere,withmanystatesfollowingitsubstantially,otherslessso,andsome(alongwiththefederalgovernment)notatall,itdoesnotreflectAmericancriminallawasitistoday,inthesenseofthesumofdisparatebodiesofstate(andfederal)criminallawbasedonseparate(stateandfederal)criminalcodesandseparatebodiesof(stateandfederal)caselaw.

    Ideally,then,thefoundationalinquirywouldfocusonabodyofcriminallawthatisrecognizablydistinct,suchasthecriminallawsystemofanyofthestatesor,moreproblematically,thefederalgovernmentor,moreinterestingly,onAmericanmilitarycriminallaw(ascodifiedintheUniformCodeofMilitaryJustice)oreventhecriminallawofNativeAmericantribes,whichraiseintriguingquestionsabouttheorigin,nature,andscopeofsovereigntyandthereforeofthepowertopunish(and,morespecifically,thepowerofcriminallaw,iethepowertomakeandimposecriminalnorms,andtoinflictsanctionsfortheirviolation).Perhapsitisenough,andforpresentpurposesitwillhavetobeenoughnotleastbecauseAmericancriminallawscholarshaveshownlittleinterestinproducingreasonablysystematicoratleastcomprehensivecontemporary,nevermindhistorical,accountsofanyparticularsystemofAmericancriminallaw24toacknowledgethediversityofAmericancriminallawsystems,topointtotheModelPenalandCorrectionalCodeastheclosestavailableapproximationofasystemofAmericancriminallaw(atleastdelegeferenda)andatanyratetoshiftthetaskfromagenealogyofAmericancriminallawtooneofAmericancriminallaws.ByabstractingfromthediversityofpresentAmericancriminallawasacollectionofcriminallawsystemsthatisusefully

  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 9 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    comparedtothesystemsthatwouldconstituteEuropeancriminallaw,ifthattermwereusedinthissense(ratherthanasthecriminallawoftheEuropeanUnion,analogoustofederalcriminallawintheUnitedStates)onecansetouttotracethegenealogyofthatcollectionofcriminallawsystemsoftenlabelledAmericancriminallaw,ataskthatpresumablywillresultinthediscoveryoffoundationalcommonalitiesatsomepointinthenottoodistantpast.

    ThiswayofproceedingisnotunfamiliarinAmericanlegalandpoliticaldiscourse,astheUnitedStates,likeFrance,continuestoviewitselfinlightofacertainfoundationalmoment,ormoments(dependingonwhatsignificanceisattributedtotheCivilWar).Thedifficultywiththisapproachisnotsomuchformal,ormethodological,(p.94) assubstantive.ThecommonfoundationalmomentinAmericanlegalandpoliticalhistorysignifiedbytheRevolution,theDeclarationofIndependence,andtheUSConstitution(includingtheoriginalBillofRights)didnotconcernitselfwiththefoundationsofcriminallawasamanifestationofthestate'spowertopunish.ThecommonfoundationofAmericancriminallawthusisanabsence,whichistosaytwothings:first,thattherewasnofoundationalmomentofAmericancriminallawassuch;and,secondandrelated,thatthefoundationsofAmericancriminallaw,suchastheyare,precedethefoundationsofAmericanlawandpolitics.Fewdoubt,atleastintheUnitedStates,thatthelateeighteenthcenturygeneratedanew,distinctlyAmerican,idealofgovernment,anewpoliticalscienceand,lessclearly,anewconceptoflaw,oratleastofthesignificanceoflaw(ThomasPaine'sTHELAWISKING!),howeverill-definedtheconceptoflawremained.Itdidnot,however,produceanewidealofcriminallaw.

    Inotherwords,thefoundationalmomentofAmericanlawwasnotthefoundationalmomentofAmericancriminallaw.Whatisdistinctive,andinthissensefoundational,aboutAmericancriminallawduringthefoundationalmomentofAmericanlawinsteadistheveryfactthatthereisnofoundationalmomentofAmericancriminallaw.TheEnlightenment'scomprehensivecritiqueoflawandpoliticsidentifiedpunishmentasaninstanceofstatepowerthatwasinparticularlydireneedoflegitimation,notrelegitimationinlightofnewideasandprinciples,butlegitimationfortheveryfirsttimeaftermillenniaofunquestioned,andunquestionable,penalmight(Strafmacht),understoodasthehardessenceofsovereignty.

    TheEnlightenmentdidnotmerelyproducenewanswerstothequestionofwhythestatehasarighttopunish,butpostedthequestionfortheveryfirsttime,andwithgreaturgency.Punishmentwasnolongerbeyondlegitimationasamanifestationofthesovereignsubject'sauthorityovertheobjectsofgovernment.Nowviewedasaparticularlydirectandprimafacieillegitimateviolationoftheveryrightsthestateexistedtomanifestandprotect,punishmentdesperatelyrequiredlegitimationintermsofthefundamentalprincipleoflegitimacy,autonomy,orself-government,whichinthepoliticalspherereflectedthecapacityforautonomythatdefinedtheequalpersonhoodofallstateconstituents.Onlyasystemofpenalpowerthatrespectedallpersonsassuch,ieasbeingswithacapacityforautonomy,couldhopetosurvivetheEnlightenment'scomprehensivecritique.

  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 10 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    IntheUnitedStates,bycontrast,thetraditionalconceptionandsystemofpenalitysurvivedthefoundationalandconstitutionalmomentessentiallyundisturbed.Thefoundationsofthestate'spenalpowerremainednotonlyunchallenged,butunexamined,andunnamed.Inoccasional,off-hand,referencestothesourceofthatpower,courts,orcommentators,whenmovedtostatetheobvious,mightremarkthatthepowertopunishwasone,ifaparticularlyobvious,instanceofthestate'scomprehensiveanddiscretionarypowertopolice,iethepowertosafeguardandmaximize(p.95) thepublicwelfareinallofitsmyriadaspects.25Thepolicepowerinturnwasdefinedbyitsveryundefinability,asamorphousandunquestionableassovereigntyitself,whichwastransferredunchangedfromthekingtothepeople,anintentionallyapersonalconstructthatobscuredthenatureofsovereigntyratherthanalteringit,therebycomplicatingitscriticalanalysisratherthanfacilitatingit.26

    Here,Ithink,itisusefultodifferentiatethedistinctionamongbranchesofgovernmentfromthefracturingofsovereigntyitself.Thedivisionamonggovernmentalfunctionslegislative,judicial,executoryortheseparationoftheattendantpowerstoperformthesefunctions,isneitheressentiallydemocraticnormonarchic.Thesovereignactsthroughallstateactors,nomatterwhatfunctiontheyperform;andthepolicepower,asanessentialfeatureofsovereignty,isexercisedbyallbranchesofgovernment.Policepower,likesovereignty,isanattributeofstategovernance,notofanyparticularbranchordepartment.

    ThesearchforthefoundationalmomentofAmericancriminallaw,asamanifestationofthestate'spowertopolice,thenisasearchforthefoundationalmomentoftheconceptofpoliceor,morefundamentallystill,theconceptofsovereigntyitembodies.Sovereignty,however,isalwaysalreadythere,complicatingasearchforitsfoundations,ifnotmakingitaltogetherimpossible.Moreover,insofarassovereigntyisbyitsnaturebeyondcritique,itresistsgenealogyinthepresentsense,ieasthesearchfortoolsforcriticalanalysisofthelegitimacyofstateinstitutions.Still,asahistoricalandconceptualmatter,itispossibletoinvestigatethefoundationsofthepowertopolice,andtheattendantconceptofsovereignty.

    AsIhavearguedatlengthelsewhere,27theunderlyingconceptofsovereigntyasthenatureofpoliticalpowerisgroundedintheancientconceptofhouseholdership,iethepowerofthehouseholder(oikonomos)togovernhishousehold(oikos).28Thepolicepoweristhemodernmanifestationofthatpower,whichemergedasthemodeofgovernancewastransferredfromthemicrohouseholdofthefamilytothemacrohouseholdofthatgreatfamily,theState,inRousseau'sphrase29or,theindividualsofthestate,likemembersofawell-governedfamily,inBlackstone's.30Thepolicepoweristhemodeofgoverningthestateasamatterofpoliticaleconomy,(p.96) ie,asamatterofresourcemanagementofthebodypolitic,composedofhuman,andother(animateandinanimate)resources;itis,simply,thepowertogovernmenandthings.31

    LocatingthefoundationofthepolicepowerinancientGreecenotonlyhelpstoelucidatetheinnerstructureofpoliceasamodeofgovernance,butalsomakesclearthatthepolicepowercannotberegardedinisolation,butmustbeseenincontrastto,andin

  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 11 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    tensionwith,anothermodeofgovernancerootedinAthenianpoliticallife.Fromtheverybeginning,theconceptofoikoswascontrastedwiththeconceptofpolis,acontrastthatoften,somewhatmisleadinglyoratleastblandly,isputintermsofthedistinctionbetweenprivateandpublic.32Whereastheoikoswasgovernedbytheoikonomos(or,lesspolitically,thedespots,lord,master),thepoliswasgovernedbythepolitikos.33Theoikoswasessentiallyheteronomous,characterizedbyother-government;thepoliswasessentiallyautonomous,characterizedbyself-government.Theoikoswasdefinedbytheradicaldistinctionbetweengovernorandgoverned,betweenoikonomosandoikos,thesubjectandobjectofgovernment;thepoliswasdefinedbytheradicalequalityofgovernorandgoverned,ofpolitikosandpolitikos,whowouldgovernhimselfandothersashimself.

    Eachsphereofgovernanceisworthyofanalysisbyitself,inanefforttodefineitsscopeandcontours,itsstructureandmodeofoperation.Initially,however,itisworthconsideringtheinteraction,andinterrelation,ofthetwo.Whilethespheresofgovernanceweredistinguishedcarefully(morecarefullybysome,notablyAristotle,thanothers,Plato),theywerealsocomplementaryandconnectedthroughthepersonalunityoftheoikonomosandthepolitikosthepolitikosintheagorawastheoikonomosathome.Other-governmentathomequalifiedmenforself-governmentincitylife;thecapacityfor(political)autonomywasevidencedbythecapacityfor(domestic)heteronomy.Publicequalitypresupposedprivateinequality,thepolispresupposedtheoikos.Whilethetwospheresofgovernmentwereseenascomplementary,itcouldnotbesaidthatoikospresupposedpolis.Historically,andconceptually,thefamilyprecededthecity,oikonomikaprecededpolitika,andheteronomyprecededautonomy.Anxietiestriggeredbytheprospectofcollapsingthedistinctionbetweenthetwospheres,atleastsinceAristotle,havetendedtoconcerntheeliminationofthepolitical,ratherthantheoeconomic,sphere,whichisregardedasareversiontoapre-politicalstateofaffairs,historicalornot,withthedevelopmentofthenotionofequalityandself-governmentbeingseenasamorerecentphenomenon,ifnotaccomplishment(ordiscovery).(p.97)

    Itisfruitful,Ithink,toseethedistinctionbetweenpoliceandlawinlightoftheancientdistinctionbetweenoikonomikaandpolitika.Theconceptofpolice,orofpoliticaleconomy,then,appearsasacomprehensiveandsystematicattempttobreakdownthedistinctionbetweenprivateandpublicmodesofgovernancethroughtheexpansion,orifyoupreferthetransfer,ofhouseholdgovernancefromthemicrofamilytothemacrofamilyofthestate.Domestic,orfamilial,economybecomespolitical,orstate,economy.Thestateasawholeisnowregardedasa(great)family,asheteronomousresourcemanagementspillsoverintothepublicsphere.

    Thetensionbetweenoikonomiaandpolitika,however,remains;itis,infact,sharpenedasitistransferredontothemacrolevelofstategovernance.Whereasheteronomyandautonomyonceco-existedastheappropriatemodesofgovernancefortheprivateandthepublicsphere,respectively,nowbothstandindirecttensionatthestatelevel,aspoliceandlaw,andasthepolice(orwelfare)state(Wohlfahrtsstaat)andthelaw(orjustice)state(Rechtsstaat).Heteronomyandautonomyarebroughtintodirectcontrast

  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 12 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    atthesamelevelofgovernment,inthesamepoliticalsphere,astheobjectsofgovernancearebothandatthesametimeradicallydifferentthan(andinferiorto)thesubjectfromtheperspectiveofpoliceandidenticalwith(andequalto)itfromthatoflaw.

    Thecriticalanalysisofstatepunishmentmakesthistensionbetweenpoliceandlaw,betweenheteronomyandautonomy,particularlyvisible.Fromapoliceperspective,statepunishmentisnotsomuchobviouslylegitimateasitisobviouslyinnoneedoflegitimation.Naturally,thesovereign-householderisempoweredtowieldpenaldisciplineasatoolofhumanresourcemanagementinwhatevercircumstanceandinwhatevermannerheseesfit.Withoutthepowertodiscipline,hewouldlackthepowertopolice,andwithoutthepowertopolicehewouldbenosovereign.Theconnectionbetweenthepolicepowerandsovereigntywassotight,andsounquestionable,thatAmericanfederalismatopicthat,unlikethelegitimacyofthepowertopunish,didattractconsiderableattentionduringthefoundationalperiodofAmericanlawandpoliticsrestedontheinsistencethatthestatesmustretainthepowertopoliceand,todrivehomethepoint,thatthenationalgovernmentmustnothavethepowertopolice.Deprivingthestatesoftheirpolicepowerwouldhavemeantstrippingthemoftheirsovereigntyandsimplyincorporatingthem,aspointsofdelegatedpower,intoaunitarynationalstate.

    Withinthepolicerealm,then,thelegitimacyofstatepunishmentis,quiteliterally,anon-issue.Thelegitimacychallengeofstatepunishmentonlyemergesifoneshiftsintotherealmoflaw.Suddenly,statepunishmentappearsnolongerasaquintessentiallysovereignactofstate,butastheintentionalinflictionofviolenceuponaperson.Fromtheperspectiveofpolice,punishmentisanactofheteronomythroughwhichthesuperiorsubjectofgovernmentinscribeshisverysuperiorityontothebodyofitsobject,andassuchisbeyondreproach.Itispreciselythisconceptionofpunishmentthatcouldnotwithstandcriticalanalysisfromtheperspectiveoflaw.Legalpunishment,punishmentundertheruleoflaw(notofpolice),cannot(p.98) beessentiallyheteronomous.Legalpunishmentinsteadmustbeautonomous,ofpersonsbypersonsforpersons.34

    Incidentally,whatisoftenportrayedasthesecondconstitutionalmomentinAmericanlegalandpoliticalhistory,triggeredbytheCivilWar,alsodidnotreachtheissueofthelegitimacyofstatepunishment.WhenLincolncalledforgovernmentofthepeople,bythepeople,forthepeople,thepeopledidnotincludecriminaloffendersaspassive(of)oractive(by)citizens,norasbeneficiaries(for).TheThirteenthAmendmenttotheUSConstitutionabolishedslaveryandinvoluntaryservitudeexceptascriminalpunishment,andlatenineteenth-centuryprisonlaw,suchasitwas,consideredincarceratedfelonsasrightlessslavesofthestate.35

    Duringthe(original)Americanfoundationalmoment,ifquestionsofcriminallawattractedtheattentionoftheFoundingFathersliving,andmaking,thatmomentatall,whichwasrareenough,theyconcernedtheexpedientuseofthecriminalsanctionratherthanthepriorquestionofitslegitimacy.SothecontributorstotheFederalistpaperscanbeseenexploringtheuseofpenaldisciplinetosuppressinternalrebellion,whichtheytreatedas

  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 13 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    aproblemofpublicpoliticalhealth(ieofhealthpolice),withHamiltoninsistingontheneedforpunishmentfordisobedience,36notablythedisorderlyconductofrefractoryorseditiousindividuals.37Penalsanctions,heexplained,wererequiredtoremovethoseseditionsandinsurrectionsthatare,unhappily,maladiesasinseparablefromthebodypoliticastumorsanderuptionsfromthenaturalbody.38TheBillofRights,ofcourse,didendupaddressingitselftosomeissuesinthepenalprocess,buttherelevantprovisions,too,presumedtheexistenceandlegitimacyofasystemofstatepunishmentandwerecontenttoregulatethepre-trialandtrialprocessofinvestigation(search,seizure,confrontation,jury,etc),iethestageofthepenalprocessbeforetheclassificationofitsobjectsasoffender(orfelon)ratherthanasmeresuspectsordefendants.39

    Therewasonenotable,butultimatelyonlyapparent,exceptiontothegeneralfailuretorecognize,nevermindtoaddress,thequestionofthefoundationsofthestate'spowertopunishinthecourseofthecomprehensiveanalysisofthe(p.99) foundationsofAmericanlawandgovernmentduringtheAmericanGrnderzeit.40ThomasJefferson,havingreturnedtoVirginiaafterhisworkontheDeclarationofIndependence,draftedacriminallawbill(orrather,moremodestly,aBillforProportioningCrimesandPunishmentsinCasesHeretoforeCapital)asoneofhiscontributionstoageneralrevisionofVirginialawinlightofourrepublicanformofgovernment.[N]owthatwehadnonegativesofCouncils,Governors&Kingstorestrainusfromdoingright,Jeffersonsetouttocorrect[]thelawofVirginiainallit's[sic]parts,withasingleeyetoreason,&thegoodofthoseforwhosegovernmentitwasframed.41

    Jefferson'scriminallawbillisworthacloserlookbecauseitcapturesthefoundinggeneration'slackofinterestincriminallaw,andnotablythefoundationsofandlegitimationofcriminallaw.Jeffersonpickedupcriminallawonlyafterthecommitteememberwhohadoriginallybeenassignedthetopic(GeorgeMason)resigned.Theclosestthingtoaleadingprinciple[]thatthecommittee'sbriefconsiderationofcriminallawyieldedwasthelextalionis.Byfarthemostoriginal,andpotentiallyfoundational,partofthebillwasitspreamble,whichisworthreproducinginfull:

    Whereasitfrequentlyhappensthatwickedanddissolutemenresigningthemselvestothedominionofinordinatepassions,commitviolationsonthelives,libertiesandpropertyofothers,and,thesecureenjoymentofthesehavingprincipallyinducedmentoenterintosociety,governmentwouldbedefectiveinit's[sic]principalpurposewereitnottorestrainsuchcriminalacts,byinflictingduepunishmentsonthosewhoperpetratethem;butitappearsatthesametimeequallydeduciblefromthepurposesofsocietythatamemberthereof,committinganinferiorinjury,doesnotwholyforfiet[sic]theprotectionofhisfellowcitizens,but,aftersufferingapunishmentinproportiontohisoffenceisentitledtotheirprotectionfromallgreaterpain,sothatitbecomesadutyinthelegislaturetoarrangeinaproperscalethecrimeswhichitmaybenecessaryforthemtorepress,andtoadjusttheretoacorrespondinggradationofpunishments.

    Andwhereasthereformationofoffenders,thoanobjectworthytheattentionofthelaws,isnoteffectedatallbycapitalpunishments,whichexterminateinsteadof

  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 14 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    reforming,andshouldbethelastmelancholyresourceagainstthosewhoseexistenceisbecomeinconsistentwiththesafetyoftheirfellowcitizens,whichalsoweakenthestatebycuttingoffsomanywho,ifreformed,mightberestoredsoundmemberstosociety,who,evenunderacourseofcorrection,mightberenderedusefulinvariouslaborsforthepublic,andwouldbelivingandlongcontinuedspectaclestodeterothersfromcommittingthelikeoffences.

    Andforasmuchtheexperienceofallagesandcountrieshathshewnthatcruelandsanguinarylawsdefeattheirownpurposebyengagingthebenevolenceofmankindtowithholdprosecutions,tosmothertestimony,ortolistentoitwithbias,when,ifthepunishmentwere(p.100) onlyproportionedtotheinjury,menwouldfeelittheirinclinationaswellastheirdutytoseethelawsobserved.

    HereJeffersoncomescloserthananyoneinthefoundinggenerationtoformulatingthechallengeofthelegitimacyofstatepunishmentinthenewself-governingrepublic.Sincethestate'spurposeistosafeguardthelives,libertiesandpropertyofitsconstituents,ithastheright(andeventheduty)42torestrainsuchcriminalactswhicharedefinedasviolationsonthelives,libertiesandpropertyoftheirfellowstateconstituentsbyinflictingduepunishmentsonthosewhoperpetratethem.Yet,noteverycriminaloffender(ieviolatorofothersfundamentalrights)byhiscriminalactwholyforfiet[s]theprotectionofhisfellowcitizens.Thosewhoinflictinferiorinjuryandhavegoodrehabilitativeprospectsmightberestoredsoundmemberstosociety.Others,whoseexistenceisbecomeinconsistentwiththesafetyoftheirfellowcitizens,areexterminate[d],ifonlyasthelastmelancholyresource.

    Thisisnotmuchofanaccountofthefoundationofstatepunishment,butitdoesindicateatleastanattempttoconnecttheinstitutionofstatepunishmenttothestate'sraisondtreinthenewrepublic,itsprincipalpurposesafeguardingtherightsofitsconstituents.Thelegitimacyofpunishmentisnotproblematized,buttakenforgranted;stillJeffersonatleaststatestheobviousintermsthatwouldbeopentothepossibilityofcriticalanalysis:thequestionmayhaveanobviousanswer,butitremainsaquestion.Punishmentisnotsimplydismissedasbeyondlegitimationasaandinfactthemostvisiblemanifestationofstatesovereignty.

    Thisisasfarasitgoes.WhileJeffersongrantsthatsomeoffendersmayretaintheirstatusasstateconstituents,providedtheirdeficiency(intheircapacityforautonomytheyarenotgovernedbythemselves,butareunderthedominionofinordinatepassions)istreatablethroughpenalreform,othersarecutofffromthebodypolitic,muchastheseditioustumorsandmaladiesthatintheFederalistwerethoughttorequirepenalinterventionasamatterofpublichealth.Eventhereformableoffendersarekeptaliveaspublicresources,orlong-continuedspectacles.43Recallthatthenotionofpenalservitudesurvivedeventheabolishment(p.101) ofslaveryintheThirteenthAmendment,somesevendecadeslater.Exterminatingtheusefuloffenderwouldbeawasteofhumanresources;excessivepunishmentisbadresourcemanagement.Atthemargins,extremedisproportionalityinfactmaynotmerelybeimprudent,butascruel

  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 15 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    andunusual,inthefamiliarwordsoftheEighthAmendment,copiedfromtheEnglishBillofRightsof1689,whichitselfdrewonMagnaCartamaymanifestabasicunfitnessforthejobofhouseholder,onthegroundthattheheartiswrong.44

    Whenpenaldisciplineisclearlyinconsistentwithproperhouseholdingiesafeguardingandmaximizing,inotherwords,managingresourcesitmaysuggestthatitisnotpenaldisciplineatall;insteaditisanacting-outonthepartofthegovernor/householderwho,intheguiseofheteronomoushouseholdrule,infactdisplaystheveryincapacityforruleofhimselfandothersthatmarkstheobjectsofhispowerasobjects.Asaslavetohispassions(hismalice,cruelty,etc),hehasrevealedhimself(asmeasuredthroughprudentialdevicessuchastheruleofthumborthedeprivationoflifeorlimb)asunfittogovern,andasfittobegovernedinstead.45Andsothelimitationonthestate'spowertopunish(aslaidoutintheEighthAmendmentanditsverysimilarlywordedstateanalogues)emergesasrootedinthesamepoliceparadigmthatJefferson'spreamblecannot,intheend,transcend.46

    ItisofcourseunfairtosubjectJefferson'sshortpreambletohisshortVirginiacriminallawbilltoprolongedcriticalanalysis.Itistheclosestthingtoarecognitionoftheideaofnewfoundationofcriminallawinthenewrepublicthatthefoundinggenerationproduced.Itcouldwellhavebeendevelopedintoamorecomprehensiveaccountofthenewcriminallawinlightofthefundamentalprinciplesthatdrovetherevolution.Andsuchacomprehensiveaccount,ratherthanJefferson'sbriefcommentsinthepreamble,wouldthenbetheproperobjectofsustainedcriticalanalysis.Butnosuchcomprehensiveaccountmaterialized.Thepreambleisnotonlybrief,andambiguousinitsrecognitionoftheenormityandtheimportanceofthetaskoflegitimatingcriminallawaslawaspartofaprojectthatvieweditselfasaradicalreconsiderationofthefundamentalsofstatepower,italsohadnoimpactwhatsoever.

    Jefferson'scontemporariesignoredit;Jeffersonscholarsignoredit;and,what'smosttelling,Jeffersonhimselfignoredit,notjustingeneralandlateron,butintheverybilltowhichthepreambleisattached.Thebillitselfbearsvirtuallynotraceofthepreamble'sapproachtotheproblemofstatepunishmentinthenewrepublic.Thebillinsteadisahaphazardcollectionofunconsideredrestatementsofcommonlawpunishments,asdescribedbyLordCoke,whomJeffersongreatlyadmired.The(p.102) lextalionistruetoJefferson'srenditionoftheVirginialawrevisioncommittee'sbriefdiscussionofcriminallawmakesseveralappearances,bothinthetextofthebillandinthecopiousfootnotes,whichcontainsomanyquotesfromAnglo-SaxondoomsthattheeditorofJefferson'spapershadtoenlisttheservicesofanAnglo-Saxonscholar.Ducking,whipping,andthepilloryappearassanctions,asdoescastrationor,inthecaseofafemaleoffender,cuttingthrothecartilageofhernoseaholeofonehalfinchdiameterattheleast(forrape,polygamy,orsodomy),alongwithpoisoning(astalionicpunishmentforpoisoning)andmaiming(formaiming).

    Jeffersondidspendalotoftimeonthecriminallawbill,notonitssubstance,butonitsform.Hecreatedtwoversionsofthebill,withornatemarginaliainthestyleofhisadmiredCoke.SoeagerwasJeffersontoadoptaCokelookthatheadoptedCoke's

  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 16 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    spellingby,forinstance,changingthespellingofforfeittoforfiet(seeabove).47Intheend,Jeffersonusedthecriminallawbillasanelaborate,andtime-consuming,calligraphicexercise,practisinganddisplayinghissuperbpenmanship.48ThebestthatcanbeandhasbeensaidaboutthebillbythefewJeffersonbiographersandeditorswhohavepaidattentiontoitisthatitisanextraordinarilybeautifuldocument.49

    Inhindsight,Jefferson'smodestpreambletohisuniversallyignored(andneverenacted)criminallawbillforthestateofVirginiaturnsouttohavebeenthe(firstand)lastbestchanceforengagementwiththefoundationsofAmericancriminallaw.50Thefoundationalmomenthadpassed,tobeinvokedbutneverrepeated.ThesecondconstitutionalmomentoftheCivilWaranditsimmediateaftermathdidnot,andcouldnot,createanewrepublic,norcritiquethefoundationsoflawandpoliticswiththeoriginalradicalismoftherevolutionaryperiodanditsFoundingFathers.Atanyrate,itdidnotgenerateafundamentalrevisionofAmericancriminallawinlightofbasicprinciplesoflegitimacy.Instead,theCivilWarperiodservedtocementthepre-revolutionaryviewofpenalityasbeyondcriticalanalysisand,specifically,constitutionalscrutiny.Inthisway,theThirteenthAmendmentabolishedslaverywhileatthesametimereaffirming,intheconstitutionitself,theessentialaconstitutionalityofthestate'spenalpower.(p.103)

    Americancriminallawdoctrine,ifnotitsfoundations,didnotcomeinforacomprehensivereconsiderationuntilthe1950s,whentheAmericanLawInstituteturneditsattentiontothesubject.(TheALIfirstdealtwithcriminalprocedure,in1930;WorldWarIIintervenedbeforeitcouldattendtosubstantivecriminallaw.)TheprojectwasheadedupbyHerbertWechsler,whoin1937hadpublishedaprogressivecriminallawmanifestoinatwo-partarticleco-authoredwithhisColumbiacolleagueJeromeMichael,entitledARationalefortheLawofHomicide.51Thoughdraftedinthe1950sandearly1960sandcompletedin1962theModelPenalandCorrectionalCodereflectedtheprogrammesetoutinARationale,whichbothrecognizedthelackofseriousinterestincriminallawasasubjectofstudy,orreform,intheUnitedStates(thusnecessitatingamodelcode,ratherthanarestatement)andsetouttorationalizethesubjectinlightoftheprogressiveideasoftheday.52Thismeantreconceivingcriminalpunishmentaspeno-correctionaltreatment,replacingwoollynotionsofmaliceandintentwithscientificinquiriesintodangerousness,andconstructingthepenalsystemasasystemfortheidentificationandtreatmentofabnormallydangerousoffenders.TheModelPenalandCorrectionalCodethushadfourparts,thefirsttwoofwhich(thePenalCode)weredevotedtothemodernizedversionofthetraditionalrulesofcriminalliability,reconceivedaspreliminaryjudicialdiagnosesofdangerousnessleadingtopreliminarysentences,andthelattertwo(theCorrectionalCode)concernedthemselveswiththeindividualizedprofessionaldiagnosisandtreatmentofthatdangerousnessasitmanifesteditselfinspecificoffenders.53

    TheModelPenalCodehadnopatienceforwhatitconsideredanachronisticandpre-scientificnotionslikeautonomyorthewill(asevidenced,forinstance,byitsrefusaltodefinevoluntarinessrequirementforcriminalliabilitysoasnottoinjectintothecriminallawquestionsaboutdeterminismorfreewill54).Itstreatmentistapproachfitsmore

  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 17 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    comfortablywiththepoliceparadigmofhumanresourcemanagement(bythestateofabnormalindividuals)thanwiththelawparadigm(ofequalrespectforthedignityofpersonsasendowedwithacapacityforautonomy).Atanyrate,theModelPenalCodedidnotsetouttoderiveanaccountofcriminallawfromthefoundationsoflawandpolitics.TheALIisnotabodyofPlatonianstatesmen,orFoundingFathers,butagroupoflegalprofessionals,foundedin1923topromotetheclarificationandsimplificationofthelawanditsbetteradaptationtosocialneeds,tosecurethebetteradministrationofjustice,andtoencourageandcarryonscholarlyandscientificlegalwork.(p.104)

    TheModelCodeproject,then,cannotbeseenasafoundationalmomentinAmericancriminallaw.ItwassuccessfulwithinthescopeofitsambitionittriggeredwidespreadreformofAmericancriminalcodesandprovidedAmericancriminallawteachingandscholarshipwithacommon,ifartificial,platform.Itdidnot,however,facilitatethecriticalanalysisofthelegitimacyofstatepunishment.TheModelPenalandCorrectionalCodetookthesovereign'spenalpowerforgrantedand,fromthatassumption,proceededtodevisethemostsensible(andpracticallypalatable)systemforitsexercise.55Ironically,ithadvirtuallynoeffectonthetermsofcriminallawdiscourse.Whileitsrulesnotablyitstaxonomyofmentalstatesreshapedcriminallawdoctrine,theirunderlyingtreatmentistrationalewasignored,nomatterhowexplicitlyandsystematicallythatrationalewassetout,asearlyas1937,andappliedthroughoutthePenalCode(parts1and2)andtheCorrectionalCode(parts3and4).(Infact,theCorrectionalCode,whichmakesupthesecondhalfoftheModelCode,hasbeenignoredinitsentirety,eventhough,fromtheCode'streatmentistperspective,thePenalCodemakesnosensewithouttheCorrectionalCodesinceitfunctionsasthegatewaytothelatter,byproducingtheroughandpenologicallyamateurishpreliminarydiagnosesthatarefine-tunedundertheregimesetoutintheCorrectionalCode.)

    Toignoredoesnotmeantoreject.ThepointisthattheModelPenalandCorrectionalCodeneithersoughtnorproducednorstimulatedaninquiryintothefoundationsofcriminallaw.Totheextentitreliesonsystematicconsiderationsthatgobeyond,orbeneath,concernsofgoodhousekeeping(suchasclarity,consistency,orevenrationality,narrowlyconstrued),ietotheextentitpresenteditselfasworkingoutthetreatmentistprogramsketchedinARationale(andotherpublicationsoftheperiod,notonlyintheUnitedStates),theModelCodehadnoimpact,orratheritappearedtomakenodifferencethatitchosetopresentitselfinthisway,ratherthaninanyother.

    4CONCLUSIONAndsothegenealogyofAmericancriminallawgoesnowhere.Americancriminallawremainswithoutfoundationsand,what'smore,withoutaninquiryintoitsfoundations.ThisabsenceoffoundationshelpsaccountforthephenomenonoftheWaronCrime,whichrecentlyhasmorphedintoaWaronTerror,withoutanynoticeablesystematicresistanceintheformoffoundationalprinciplesthatrequired(p.105) engagement.Doctrinalrulesaboutmensreaandactusreus,forinstance,arebutancientbroadsheetsblowinginthewindofimminentthreatstotheauthorityofthesovereignorthewelfareofthehouseholdunderits/hiscontrol.Anachronisticslogansarenomatchfor

  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 18 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    therhetoricofemergency.

    Ofcourse,thegenealogyofAmericancriminallawasaninquiryintofoundationsthatmayserveasthepointofreferenceforcriticalanalysisisnotemptyifonebroadensthescopeoftheinquiryfromcriminallaw,tolaw,andeventuallytostategovernmentingeneral.Thenthetaskofcriticalanalysisbecomesonemoreofapplicationthanofexcavation,orreconstruction.Thephilosophyofcriminallawwouldthenbeconcernedwiththequestionofhowasystemofcriminallawmightmanifestthefundamentalprinciple,orprinciples,oflegitimatestatepower,inotherwords,whatcriminallawaslawwouldlooklike.Eventhoughthisstrikesmeasaworthwhileendeavour,thegenealogyofAmericancriminallaw,narrowlyspeaking,remainssignificantifonlybecausethecriticalanalysisofaparticularsystemoflawmusthaveanaccountofitsabsence.Itisameaningful,andarguablydistinctive,featureofAmericancriminallawthatithasescapedcriticalanalysisinlightoffoundationalprinciplesforsolongandthatthelegitimacyofstatepunishmentattractednoattentionattheveryfoundationalmomentwhichistoserveasthebasisforitsbelatedcritique,whensomanyotherexercisesofstatepowerwerescrutinizedwithgreatenthusiasm(taxation!).

    Withallthistalkabouttheabsenceofaninquiryintothefoundationsofcriminallawaslaw,onemightgetthesensethatthepolicemodelnotonlyrepresentstherealityofAmericanpenalitybutalsothatithasbeenshoweredwithsustainedattention.Thatsensewouldbemistaken.Itisonethingtopointoutthatpoliceisessentiallydiscretionary,undefinable,andultimatelyalegitimate;it'sanothertosaythatthepolicemodelisinconsistentwithseriousanalysis,period.Theabsenceofcomprehensivetreatmentsofpenalityaspoliceisnotanecessaryfeatureofthepolicemodel.Andyettherecanbenotalkofawell-worked-outprojectofAmericancriminalpolice.Americanpenalpolice,then,isnotonlyessentiallydiscretionary,butthesovereigninfacthasexercisedthatdiscretionwithoutsystematicguidance.

    Thepolicesovereign,ofcourse,isnotboundbyprinciple,orlegitimacyconstraints,todevelop,recognize,orfollowguidelinesofanykind.Butthatisnottosaythatchoosingtoguideitsdiscretioninthiswaywouldbeinconsistentwithitssovereignty.Afterall,eventheancientGreekshadtheirstudiesofoikonomia(asanart,ratherthanascience),FlorencehadMachiavelli'sThePrince,seventeenth-andeighteenth-centuryGermanandFrenchrulershadtheirpolicescience(Polizeiwissenschaft)andtheirpolicetreatises(forexample,Delamare'sTraitdelapolice(17051738)),andslaveholdersintheAmericanantebellumSouthhadtheirplantationmanuals.56Inlegalacademe,theeconomicanalysisoflawhasshown(p.106) little,ifany,interestinimagininganefficientsystemofcrimecontrol(occasionalprogrammaticefforts,notablybyRichardPosner,notwithstanding57),whichisnottosaythatAmericanstateofficialswouldbeinclinedtoaccepttheguidanceofwhateversystemsof,orapproachesto,criminalpolicemightbegenerated.Intheend,thefoundationsofAmericancriminalpolicenolessrequireattentionthandothefoundationsofAmericancriminallaw.

    Notes:

  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 19 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    (1)SeeMDubber,HistoricalAnalysisofLaw(1998)16Law&HistoryReview159.

    (2)SeeMFoucault,Nietzsche,Genealogy,History,inPRabinow(ed),TheFoucaultReader(NewYork:PantheonBooks,1984),76.

    (3)Onthecontrastbetweenthelawpower(Rechtsmacht)ofthestateanditspolicepower(Polizeimacht),seebelow.Thesetwopowerscorrespondtotwo,morefamiliar,conceptionsofthestate,thelawstate,orstateundertheruleoflaw(Rechtsstaat),andthepolicestate(Polizeistaat).Criminallaw(Strafrecht),ratherthancriminalpolice(Strafpolizei),then,isaparticularaspectofthestateslawpower,ratherthanitspolicepower.

    (4)Ondifferentformsandusesofcomparativeanalysisincriminallaw,seeMDDubber,ComparativeCriminalLaw,inMReimannandRZimmermann(eds),OxfordHandbookofComparativeLaw(Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress,2006),1287.

    (5)Forahistoricalperspective,focusingonmoralcritique,seeJBSchneewind,TheInventionofAutonomy:AHistoryofModernMoralPhilosophy(Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress,1998).

    (6)Forausefuloverviewofdistinctionsamongvariousconceptsofautonomy,andtheirinterrelationship,seeJChristman,AutonomyinMoralandPoliticalPhilosophy,inENZalta(ed),StanfordEncyclopediaofPhilosophy(2003),http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/autonomy-moral/.

    (7)Examplesmayincludetheoreticaland,especially,programmaticwritingsonNationalSocialistcriminallaw.SeeegGDahmandFSchaffstein,LiberalesoderautoritresStrafrecht(Hamburg:HanseatischeVerlogsanstalt1933)[LiberalorAuthoritarianCriminalLaw];GDahm,VerratundVerbrechen,(1935),95ZStW283[TreasonandFelony];FSchaffstein,DasVerbrechenalsPflichtverletzung,inKLarenz(ed),GrundfragenderneuenRechtswissenschaft(Berlin:JunkerundDnnhauptVerlag,1935),108[FelonyasViolationofDuty].

    (8)OnGermancriminallegalscience,seeMDDubber,ThePromiseofGermanCriminalLaw:AScienceofCrimeandPunishment(2005)6GermanLawJournal1049.Morerecentworkinsocialscienceoflaw(lawandsociety,lawandeconomics,etc)doesnottreatthestudyoflawitselfasascience,butmerelyappliesexternalscientificmethods(sociological,psychological,economic)tolawasanobjectofstudy(likeothersocialphenomenaorhumancommunalactivitiesorinstitutions,suchasplayinggamesorrunningagang,orabusiness).

    (9)SeeegE-JLampe,ZurontologischenStrukturdesstrafbarenUnrechts,inTWeigendandGKpper(eds),FestschriftfrHansJoachimHirschzum70.Geburtstag(Berlin:WalterdeGruyter,1999),83.

    (10)BVerfGE120,224(26Feb2008).

  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 20 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    (11)Foramoredetaileddiscussionofthiscase,seeMDDubber,MoralPoliceandConstitutionalLaw(2011)61UTorontoLawJournal___(SymposiumonConstitutionalismandtheCriminalLaw).

    (12)See[1993]BVerfGE88,203(SecondAbortionDecision)(relationshipbetweenmotherandembryo);cfHWeinkauff,DerNaturrechtsgedankeinderRechtsprechungdesBundesgerichtshofes(1960)NJW1689.

    (13)SeeegABrudner,PunishmentandFreedom(Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress,2009)(criticalanalysisofthelegitimacyofstatepunishmentasamatterofpoliticalandconstitutionaltheory).Constitutionallaw,ofcourse,alsocanblockcriticalanalysisofthelegitimacyofstatepowerratherthanfacilitate,andreflect,it,particularlyinlegalsystemswithwrittenconstitutions.Forinstance,theAmericanlawofcriminalprocedureisbothover-constutionalizedand,atthesametime(andnotcoincidentally),under-theorized.Ratherthanprovidingthedoctrinalmeansforinquiriesintothelegitimacyofvariousproceduralinstitutionsandpractices,Americanconstitutionalcriminalprocedureobscurestheseinquiriesbyinsteadbecomingentangledinsuperficialdoctrinalmattersrevolvingaroundtheinterpretationofthespecific(andverysparse)constitutionalprovisionsinquestion,notablythe4th,5th,and6thAmendmentstotheUSConstitution.SeeMDubber,TheCriminalTrialandtheLegitimationofPunishment,inRADuffetal(eds),TheTrialonTrial(Oxford:HartPublishing,2004),85,858.

    (14)SeegenerallyMDDubber,TheoriesofCrimeandPunishmentinGermanCriminalLaw(2006)53AmericanJournalofComparativeLaw679.TheconceptfirstemergedintheearlynineteenthcenturyasapositivisticchallengetoPJAFeuerbachstheoryofcrimeasaviolationofsubjectiveright(Recht),whichcouldnotaccountformoralsandpublicorderoffenses,incidentallyincludingincest,among(agreatmany)others.JMFBirnbaum,berdasErfordernieinerRechtsverletzungzumBegriffedesVerbrechens(1834)15ArchivdesCriminalrechts(NeueFolge)149.Thecompetingconceptionsofcrimeasviolationof,andthreatto,(objective)goods(Gter),ratherthan(subjective)rights(Rechte)werethencombinedinthelatenineteenthcenturyintotheconceptofRechtsgutandplacedattheheartofKarlBindingshighlyinfluentialtheoryofcriminallaw,wherethestatesrighttopunishwasnothingbuttherighttoobedienceofthelawandRechtsguthadmorphedintoanythingthatthelegislatureconsidersvaluableandtheundisturbedretentionofwhichitthereforemustensurethroughnorms.KBinding,HandbuchdesStrafrechts,vol1(Leipzig:DunckerundHumblot,1885),169.

    (15)SeeegWHassemer,TheorieundSoziologiedesVerbrechens(2ndedn;Frankfurt/Main:EuropischeVerlagsanstalt,1980).

    (16)OnremainingontologicalfoundationsofGermancriminallawscience,seeMMHernndez,berdieVerknpfungenvonStrafrechtsdogmatikundKriminalpolitik,inBSchnemannetal(eds),FestschriftfrClausRoxinzum70.Geburtstag(Berlin:WalterdeGruyter,2001),69,89.

    (17)DSpinellis,DieStrafbarkeitdersexuellenBelstigungnachgriechischemRecht,

  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 21 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    inBSchnemannetal(eds),FestschriftfrClausRoxinzum70.Geburtstag(Berlin:WalterdeGruyter,2001),1467,1469.

    (18)Aspurelydescriptive,positivisticaccounts,suchasthoseofBirnbaumandBinding,ofcoursearenotmeanttoplayaroleincriticalanalysisinthefirstplace.

    (19)ForarecentattempttomakesenseofGermancriminallawscholarshipsself-conceptionasscience,seeUrsKindhuser,DiedeutscheStrafrechtsdogmatikzwischenAnpassungundSelbstbehauptung:GrenzkontrollederKriminalpolitikdurchdieDogmatik?(2009)121ZStW954.

    (20)Consider(eg)theconstructAnglo-Americancriminallaw,whichisatbestaconvenientshorthandandatworstagrossover-simplificationthatblocksthesortofcarefulcomparativecross-systemicinquirythatmightrevealnoteworthysimilaritiesanddifferences.SeeDubber,ComparativeCriminalLaw,1287.

    (21)OnthehistoryoftheCodeproject,seeSHKadish,CodifiersoftheCriminalLaw:WechslersPredecessors(1978)78ColumbiaLawReview1098;MDDubber,PenalPanopticon:TheIdeaofaModernModelPenalCode(2000)4BuffaloCriminalLawReview53.

    (22)NMorrisandGJHawkins,TheHonestPoliticiansGuidetoCrimeControl(Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress,1970).

    (23)HLPacker,TheLimitsoftheCriminalSanction(Stanford,CA:StanfordUniversityPress,1968).

    (24)Forsomeexceptions,fromthecasebookliterature,seePWLow,FederalCriminalLaw(2ndedn;NewYork:FoundationPress,2003);NAbrams,SSBeale,andSRKlein,FederalCriminalLawandItsEnforcement(5thedn;StPaul,Minn:WestPublishing,2006);MMoskovitz,CasesandProblemsinCaliforniaCriminalLaw(Cincinnati,Ohio:AndersonPublishingCompany,1999);SFShatz,CaliforniaCriminalLaw:CasesandProblems(2ndedn;Newark,NJ:LexisNexis,2004);MDDubber,NewYorkCriminalLaw:CasesandMaterials(NewYork:Aspen,2008).

    (25)SeeegFouchavLouisiana,504US71,80(1992);SuttonvNewJersey,244US258(1917);CELaylinandAHTuttle,DueProcessandPunishment(1922)20MichiganLawReview614;WRLaFaveandAWScott,Jr,SubstantiveCriminalLaw(2ndedn;StPaul,Minn:West,1986),2.10;seegenerallyMDDubber,ThePolicePower:PatriarchyandtheFoundationsofAmericanGovernment(NewYork:ColumbiaUniversityPress,2005).

    (26)SeeMDDubber,TheStateasVictim:TreasonandtheParadoxofAmericanCriminalLaw,inMKremnitzerandKGhanayim(eds),OffencesAgainsttheState(forthcoming2011).

    (27)MDDubber,ThePolicePower:PatriarchyandtheFoundationsofAmericanGovernment(NewYork:ColumbiaUniversityPress,2005).

  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 22 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    (28)SeeKSinger,Oikonomia:AnInquiryintoBeginningsofEconomicThoughtandLanguage(1958)11Kyklos29.

    (29)JJRousseau,DiscourseonPoliticalEconomy(1755).

    (30)WBlackstone,CommentariesontheLawsofEnglandvol4(Oxford:ClarendonPress,1769),162.

    (31)LicenseCases,46US(5How)504,583(1847);seeMDubber,ThePowertoGovernMenandThings:PatriarchalOriginsofthePolicePowerinAmericanLaw(2005)52BuffaloLawReview1277.

    (32)SeeegDBNagle,TheHouseholdastheFoundationofAristotlesPolis(Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress,2006);JRoy,PolisandOikosinClassicalAthens(1999)46Greece&Rome,SecondSeries1.

    (33)Foraninterestingdiscussion,seeAVirtanen,GeneralEconomy:TheEntranceofMultitudeintoProduction(2004)4Ephemera209.

    (34)Thefocusofthischapterisnotonanyparticularaccountofthephilosophicalfoundationsofcriminallaw,butonthefoundationalprojectingeneral.Forrecentcitizen-,ratherthanperson-,basedtheoriesofstatepunishmentandcriminallaw,see,eg,RADuff,AnsweringforCrime(Oxford:HartPublishing,2007);CBrettschneider,TheRightsoftheGuilty:PunishmentandPoliticalLegitimacy(2007)35PoliticalTheory175;GJakobs,BrgerstrafrechtundFeindstrafrecht(2004)5HRR-Strafrecht88;MPawlik,Person,Subjekt,Brger(Berlin:DunckerundHumblotVerlag,2004);seegenerallyMDubber,CitizenshipandPenalLaw(2010)13NewCriminalLawReview190.

    (35)RuffinvCommonwealth,62Va790,796(1871).

    (36)AHamilton,FederalistNo15,pp73,78;AHamilton,FederalistNo21,p106.

    (37)AHamilton,FederalistNo16,pp81,85.

    (38)AHamilton,FederalistNo28,pp146,146.

    (39)Onthepointlessnessofproceduralprotectionsinthefaceofanunconstrainedandunconsideredsubstantivepenalregime,seeegHMHart,Jr,TheAimsoftheCriminalLaw(1958)23LawandContemporaryProblems401,431;seealsoMDubber,TowardaConstitutionalLawofCrimeandPunishment(2004)55HastingsLawJournal509.

    (40)Foramoredetailedanalysisofthebill,seeMDDubber,AnExtraordinarilyBeautifulDocument:JeffersonsBillforProportioningCrimesandPunishmentsandtheChallengeofRepublicanPunishment,inMDDubberandLFarmer(eds),ModernHistoriesofCrimeandPunishment(Stanford,CA:StanfordUniversityPress,2007),115.

    (41)TJefferson,Autobiography(1821).

  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 23 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    (42)Onthedutytopunish,seeKGnther,IsthereaResponsibilitytoProtectByCriminalLaw?(2011)61UTorontoLawJournal___(SymposiumonConstitutionalismandtheCriminalLaw).

    (43)Capitaloffenders,too,mightserveaspublicspectacles,asinthecaseofthoseconvictedofduelling,whowerehanged,and,iftheywerethechallenger,hadtheirbodygibbetedafterdeath;theremovaloftheircorpse,forgoodmeasure,wasdeclaredamisdemeanourandtheofficerinstructedtoseethatitbereplaced.SecVI.Inanotherbill,Jeffersonsetoutingreaterdetailwhathehadinmindforthoseconvictedofnon-capitaloffences:[M]alefactorsshallbeemployedtorowinthegalliesofthecommonwealth,ortoworkintheleadmines,oronfortificationsorsuchotherhardandlaboriousworks,forthebehoofofthecommonwealth,asbytheGovernorandCouncil,intheirdiscretion,shallbedirected:Andduringthetermoftheircondemnationshallhavetheirheadsandbeardsconstantlyshaven,andbeclothedinhabitsofcoarsematerials,uniformincolorandmake,anddistinguishedfromallothersusedbythegoodcitizensofthiscommonwealthABillfortheEmployment,GovernmentandSupportofMalefactorsCondemnedtoLabourfortheCommonwealth,inJPBoydetal(eds),ThomasJefferson,Papers,vol2(Princeton,NJ:PrincetonUniversityPress,1950),513.

    (44)UnitedStatesvClark,31F710(EDMich1887).

    (45)SeeDubber,AnExtraordinarilyBeautifulDocument,115,1224.

    (46)Seegenerallyibid115.

    (47)JPBoydetal(eds),ThomasJefferson,Papersvol2(Princeton,NJ:PrincetonUniversityPress,1950),504.

    (48)Ibid505;cfDMalone,JeffersonandHisTimevol1:JeffersontheVirginian(Boston:LittleBrownandCompany,1948),26970.

    (49)Ibid26970.

    (50)EdwardLivingstonsambitious,andalsounenacted,criminalcodeswereanexerciseincodification,andmoreparticularlytheapplicationofBenthamsgreatprincipleofutility!;theydidnotundertakeacriticalanalysisofthelegitimacyofstatespowertopunishinarepublicbasedontheprincipleofautonomy,butinsteadsoughttocategorizeand,perhaps,torationalizetheexerciseofthatpowerinvariousdoctrinalcontexts.SeeKadish,CodifiersoftheCriminalLaw,1098;ELivingston,TheCompleteWorksofEdwardLivingstononCriminalJurisprudence,vol1(NewYork,1873).

    (51)JMichaelandHWechsler,ARationaleoftheLawofHomicide(PartsI&II)(1937)37ColumbiaLawReview701,1261.

    (52)SeeDubber,PenalPanopticon,53;MDDubber,VictimsintheWaronCrime:TheUseandAbuseofVictimsRights(NewYork:NewYorkUniversityPress,2002),12847.

  • Foundations of State Punishment in Modern Liberal Democracies: Toward aGenealogy of American Criminal Law

    Page 24 of 24

    PRINTED FROM OXFORD SCHOLARSHIP ONLINE (www.oxfordscholarship.com). (c) Copyright Oxford University Press, 2015.All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the l icence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of amonograph in OSO for personal use (for details see http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/page/privacy-policy). Subscriber: PontificiaUniversidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP); date: 30 April 2015

    (53)SeeMDubber,CriminalLaw:ModelPenalCode(NewYork:FoundationPress,2002),ch1;Dubber,PenalPanopticon,53.

    (54)ModelPenalCodeandCommentaries2.01,at215(1985).

    (55)HerbertPackercalledthisthedraftersprincipledpragmatism.HLPacker,TheModelPenalCodeandBeyond(1963)63ColumbiaLawReview594.

    (56)SeeJABush,FreetoEnslave:TheFoundationsofColonialAmericanSlaveLaw(1993)5YaleJournalofLawandtheHumanities417,426.

    (57)EgRAPosnerandTJPhilipson,TheEconomicEpidemiologyofCrime(1996)39JournalofLawandEconomics405.

    Accessbroughttoyouby: PontificiaUniversidadCatolicadelPeru(PUCP)


Recommended