Moral Judgment: Does the Abuse Excuse Threaten Our Legal System?

by James Q. Wilson, David Q. Wilson

In Moral Judgment, James Q. Wilson demonstrates how our judicial system has compromised its obligation to discriminate between right and wrong. Citing highly publicized verdicts, he makes an erudite case for re-examining the ethical drift of contemporary jurisprudence. Today's headlines he claims, are proof that our judicial system relentlessly subjects itself to forces that limit its capacity to resolve even the gravest moral issues: judging guilt or innocence in the most grievous capital crimes.Moral Judgment provides a much needed antidote to these ambiguities, and a triumph for one of our most admired ethical scholars.

Genres: Law, Nonfiction, Philosophy

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

James Q. Wilson was one of the leading contemporary criminologists in the United States. Wilson, who has taught at several major universities during his academic career, has also written on economics and politics during his lengthy career. During the 1960s and 1970s, Wilson voiced concerns about trying to address the social causes of crime. He argued instead that public policy is most effective when it focuses on objective matters like the costs and benefits of crime. Wilson views criminals as rational human beings who will not commit crimes when the costs associated with crime become impractical.

James Q. Wilson most recently taught at Boston College and Pepperdine University. He was Professor Emeritus of Management and Public Administration at UCLA and was previously Shattuck Professor of Government at Harvard University. He wrote more than a dozen books on the subjects of public policy, bureaucracy, and political philosophy. He was president of the American Political Science Association, and he is the only political scientist to win three of the four lifetime achievement awards presented by the APSA. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, in 2003.

Professor Wilson passed away in March of 2012 after battling cancer. His work helped shape the field of political science in the United States. His many years of service to his American Government book remain evident on every page and will continue for many editions to come.

Reviews

[Steve Hager · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read and gave me insight into the complexity of criminal law.

[Arianne Kurtzner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arianne Kurtzner
11/21/2013
Period 6
The book I read was Moral Judgement by James Q. Wilson. He is the author of the book Moral Sense. His question is ‘Does the abuse excuse threaten our legal system?’ James Q. Wilson is a professor and in this book he explores the wellspring of morality itself- its capacity, observably innate to the human species, to distinguish right from wrong.
Many Americans worry that the moral order that once held the nation together has become unraveled; but a sense of that moral order is of personal responsibility, which has withered under the attack of personal self indulgence. Being drunk does not excuse one of crime, just as anger does not excuse murder.
This book was written very well, you learn a lot of information in little time of reading it. You also do think about what you’re reading and distinguish it in your own thoughts, developing personal opinions based on what YOU think is right and wrong. For example, you can really develop a personal opinion on just how fairly the insanity plea is used in the court system.
Some things others may not like about this book is that it is an extremely mature read. You have to really use your brain when you read this to get the full idea. It can get very boring as well, but then again, it is a book about the Legal System and its faults…
I am not one to just pick up a book about our law system and delve in to the fascinating world of law, but this was an eye opener and made me think differently about certain things. I would recommend this to anybody who enjoys learning about our law system.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book, James Q Wilson stresses the fact that people need to be accountable for the actions they choose to do. Wilson explains that there are always a few exceptions to the choices one makes. Although exceptions are valid, traditionally these exceptions are more than limited. For example, one claiming they stabbed another as self-defense.

Wilson also explains that “intentional thought, speech and any social behavior are any less caused than the patellar reflex” meaning that human behavior cannot be predicted. Even if one is intoxicated, the behavior needs to be accounted for.

We as human beings need to be accountable for the actions we choose to make. Wilson’s answer is that everything we do is explained through antecedent condition. Antecedent condition is any condition that proceeds, and influences, an event or decision. James shows his readers many examples in which choices can be made differently, depending on the situation. James shows us that the legal system does not take all exceptions to every situation.

Personally, I liked this book. It gave me a lot of different prospectives in situations I wouldn’t know what to do in. I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in learning about the legal system or how it works.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

How the justice system is fast losing its ability to distinguish right from wrong.