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Email this article Why the Bad Man Obeys the Law: Richard A. Posner’s Economic Theory of Punishment
Abstract
This article examines the problem of justifying punishment for murder, which is a new perspective that merges anthropological economic analysis with traditional legal discourse. The central focus of the study was Richard A. Posner’s theory of punishment. The main thesis contends that Posner’s concept, analysed from the perspective of legal anthropology, reveals shortcomings in the theory of punishment from a theoretical and legal standpoint. Previous studies, which question the economic justifications for self-defence and the incommensurability of value in murder verdicts, serve as examples. Legal norms should concentrate on economic consequences rather than moral considerations. The analysis of Posner’s concept points to a new direction for the study of punishment, which uncovers the essence of the pragmatic approach of American law. As Posner aptly emphasizes, this law emerged to restrain the “bad man” from breaking it. As the analysis of the Dudley case indicates, punishment in the case of killing a person will never be commensurate from the perspective of the law in a moral sense. If a person is “bad”, they may refrain from committing a crime if they cannot afford it. The research methodology is based on literature analysis and case study. The originality of the research findings lies in offering an alternative viewpoint on the problem of punishment, which can serve as a basis for further interdisciplinary discussions, thereby giving the article an international scope.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17951/sil.2026.35.1.267-280
Date of publication: 2026-06-24 10:10:21
Date of submission: 2025-08-17 17:47:50
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