The Failure Of Logic

[CrisBrown]

Hi umdpoker,

I would be astonished beyond words if any would-be murderer in history has ever engaged in this kind of reasoning. It may be comparatively more likely in economic crimes, where you can balance the chance of prosecution and conviction, and the penalty, against the likely profit. But it's not even remotely applicable in violent crimes.

This is, btw, one of the best arguments against the death penalty. Despite the poorly-reasoned arguments of a handful of researchers who claim to have interviewed prison inmates who say they didn't kill someone out of fear of the death penalty, the overwhelming evidence is that would-be violent criminals simply don't do this kind of reasoning. This is "the myth of the rational, economic, criminal actor" and there is more than ample evidence that it is, indeed, a myth.

Cris

[Al Mirpuri]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi umdpoker,

I would be astonished beyond words if any would-be murderer in history has ever engaged in this kind of reasoning. It may be comparatively more likely in economic crimes, where you can balance the chance of prosecution and conviction, and the penalty, against the likely profit. But it's not even remotely applicable in violent crimes.

This is, btw, one of the best arguments against the death penalty. Despite the poorly-reasoned arguments of a handful of researchers who claim to have interviewed prison inmates who say they didn't kill someone out of fear of the death penalty, the overwhelming evidence is that would-be violent criminals simply don't do this kind of reasoning. This is "the myth of the rational, economic, criminal actor" and there is more than ample evidence that it is, indeed, a myth.

Cris

[/ QUOTE ]

Thomas More wrote Utopia and argued against having the death penalty for burglary as it meant the burglar might as well kill the householders. This is medieval England.

[CrisBrown]

Hi Al,

If ever you get the opportunity to drag your attention away from these forums and your other studies -- and my guess is that you're in college so you don't have a whole lot of time right now -- you might do some reading on criminal law theory. The myth of the rational, economic, criminal actor has been thoroughly disproven.

Cris

[Al Mirpuri]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi Al,

If ever you get the opportunity to drag your attention away from these forums and your other studies -- and my guess is that you're in college so you don't have a whole lot of time right now -- you might do some reading on criminal law theory. The myth of the rational, economic, criminal actor has been thoroughly disproven.

Cris

[/ QUOTE ]

Cris you are so way off the mark about my age and occupation. However, that is just a minor thing.

All criminals do not need to be rational actors. Only the criminal in my thought experiment needs to be. However, let me assure you that criminals who are rational actors exist.