Both articles in this issue on the topic of criminal justice focus on punishment of criminals. Christo Roberts discusses the possible justifications for punishment and concludes that retribution—along with deterrence, restraint of the offender, and rehabilitation—is a valid reason for punishment. Dennis Curry offers a blistering critique of capital punishment, arguing the state should not …

Whether the punishment of criminals is morally acceptable and, if so, how it can be justified is something that interests everyone. But because it is such an emotional issue, it has unfortunately given rise to a great deal of confused thinking. As we shall see, many people and organizations oppose punishment. Others are of the …

You have to appreciate that the justices are engaged in a process of trying to help themselves decide the case correctly. So, they are going to ask hard questions. They are going to ask questions that don’t put your case in the best possible light, and you need to appreciate that … Yes, you want …

[Editor’s Note: Paul Schlueter III is serving a life sentence in Pennsylvania after being found guilty of murder in the first degree. He was charged with the death of Carol Ann Bonney in 1985. He pleaded no contest to the homicide but asserted a defense of diminished capacity, which was rejected by the court. We …

Editor’s note: Many readers of Free Inquiry were religious earlier in life, and for some of them, giving up their belief was a long, emotionally wrenching process. Imagine how even more difficult this process is for a dedicated fundamentalist Christian missionary, whose professional life is premised on beliefs he no longer holds. We present here …

Carl Sagan’s expertise in astrophysics and science generally is not open to doubt. However, during his life, the media and universities often invited him to express his insights into political and social issues. In 1989 during a CNN interview, Ted Turner asked Sagan, “Are you a socialist?”1 Since then (including up to the present day), Turner’s …

Astronomers have known for decades that the universe is expanding. This observation raises the natural question: How fast is it expanding? It seems a simple enough question, but it has created conflict within the cosmological community. Astronomers have developed two reliable methods to calculate this number, called the Hubble constant. They should give us the …

C.S. Lewis argued that Jesus was either a lunatic, a liar, or Lord. Take your pick. There are no other options according to Lewis. It’s one of the three. Jesus is on the level of a poached egg or a shameless charlatan, or he is Lord of All. What do we make of this argument? …

Readers may recall that some time ago we issued a call for papers related to the topic of criminal justice. Submissions on that topic constitute this issue’s cover feature, with Christo Roberts providing a careful analysis of the rationales for punishment and Dennis Curry offering a fierce critique of capital punishment. In addition, an introductory …

If you travel to Athens, Greece—as I recently did—you are bound to hear the myth surrounding the naming of the city, which is ostensibly named after Athena, the goddess of wisdom. Apparently, even Plato had heard the tale and wrote about it. As the story goes, there was a dispute between Athena and Poseidon as …