The Legal Role of Disgust. Defending Patrick Devlin from the Critiques of Martha Nussbaum

Academic Paper from the year 2017 in the subject Philosophy - Philosophy of the 20th century, grade: 4.00, Indiana University (College of Arts and Sciences), course: Problems in Social and Political Philosophy, language: English, abstract: This essay explores the writing of Patrick Devlin in regards to philosophical conservatism and defends him in response to criticisms leveled by Martha Nussbaum. In 'Hiding from Humanity: Disgust Shame and the Law', Martha Nussbaum offers a pointed critique of what she views as the legal role of disgust proposed by Patrick Devlin in 'Morals and the Criminal Law.' In spite of Nussbaum's criticisms, however, this text wishes to make the case that disgust need not be as necessary to Devlin's argument of collective moral judgement as it first appears.

I'm an undergraduate student at Indiana University studying Philosophy and Economics and currently working for the Institute of Ideas in London, England under director Claire Fox.