Is Killing Wrong? A Study in Pure Sociology |
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| Author:
| Cooney, Mark |
| Series edited by:
| Black, Donald |
| Series title: | Studies in Pure Sociology Ser. |
| ISBN: | 978-0-8139-2826-5 |
| Publication Date: | Oct 2009 |
| Publisher: | University of Virginia Press
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| Book Format: | Hardback |
| List Price: | USD $39.50USD $39.50 |
Book Description:
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Thou shalt not kill"" is arguably the most basic moral and legal principle in any society. Yet while some killers are pilloried and punished, others are absolved and acquitted, and still others are lauded and lionized. Why? The traditional answer is that how killers are treated depends on the nature of their killing, whether it was aggressive or defensive, intentional or accidental. But those factors cannot explain the enormous variation in legal officials' and citizens' responses to...
More DescriptionThou shalt not kill"" is arguably the most basic moral and legal principle in any society. Yet while some killers are pilloried and punished, others are absolved and acquitted, and still others are lauded and lionized. Why? The traditional answer is that how killers are treated depends on the nature of their killing, whether it was aggressive or defensive, intentional or accidental. But those factors cannot explain the enormous variation in legal officials' and citizens' responses to real-life homicides. Cooney argues that a radically new style of thought-pure sociology-can.