Taking the System Seriously: Nicholson’s Overturning Orthodoxy About Hegel and Punishment

Abstract

Hegel and British Idealists made important contributions to our understanding of crime and punishment. Many commentators neglect the systematic nature of Hegelian philosophies - and, in turn, their contributions have been fundamentally misunderstood. Peter Nicholson's ground breaking research is among the first to focus on the systematic structure of Hegel's argumentation in the Philosophy of Right and how this reveals a reading of Hegel's theory of punishment at odds with more conventional, non-systematic readings. Nicholson’s further pioneering work in single-handedly resurrecting interest in British Idealism highlights additional figures who defended similar, but more developed views like Hegel’s.

Keywords: Hegel, Kant, Philosophy of Right, Crime, Punishment, Brooks, Jurisprudence, British Idealism

JEL Classification: K00, K49