Abstract

Abstract:

This essay argues that Samuel Richardson takes up David Hume’s account of familial relations to rework the classical notion of punishment by association. Building on Hume’s insight that persons are always affectively connected to their kin, Clarissa shows that, thanks to sympathy, there is no way to punish a guilty person without hurting the innocent people around her. By demonstrating how retribution spreads harm instead of negating it, Richardson’s novel forces us to reevaluate our understanding of what counts as justice.

pdf

Share