The Philosophy of Crime and Punishment



Overview

This course explores how and why modern societies punish wrongdoing. Each day we consider a different philosophical justification for legal punishment, examining how factors such as justice, social consequences, moral responsibility, and fairness shape legal practice.

We will focus on two philosophical questions raised by criminal law: the justification of legal punishment and the appropriate standards for criminal liability. Should those convicted of a criminal offence be punished because they deserve to be, or because punishment will deter them and other members of society from committing criminal offences in the future, or because it satisfies society's (or the victim’s) desire for vengeance?

How should we determine the appropriate amount of punishment to impose on a convicted criminal? Are there any principled constraints on the type of punishment a just state may employ? May it punish law-breakers by publicly shaming them? Should those who successfully commit a murder be punished more than those who attempt to do so but fail due to factors outside of their control? What steps must a person take in order to be punishable for a criminal attempt? Is it enough if a person plans a bank robbery, but never acts on that plan?

This course is part of the Inspiring Oxford summer school programme, held at Brasenose College.

Programme details

Daily schedule

After registration on Sunday afternoon, we invite you to a welcome meeting in the Amersi Lecture Theatre in New Quad, where you will meet your tutors. Join us in Deer Park afterwards for our opening drinks reception, followed by dinner in Brasenose’s historic dining hall (informal dress).

Seminars take place on weekday mornings. Most afternoons are free, allowing you time to explore Oxford, enjoy a variety of optional social events (see details below), or to sit back and relax in one of the college's atmospheric quads.

Your course culminates on Friday evening with a closing drinks reception and gala farewell dinner at which Certificates of Attendance are awarded. For this special occasion smart dress is encouraged (no requirement to wear dinner suits or gowns).

Social programme 

We warmly invite all Inspiring Oxford students to take part in our optional social programme, with all events provided at no additional cost. Events are likely to include:

  • Croquet on the quad
  • Chauffeured punting from Magdalen Bridge
  • Expert-led walking tours of Oxford
  • Optional visit to an Oxford Library or the Ashmolean Museum
  • River Thames afternoon cruise
  • Quiz night in the college bar
  • Scottish country dance evening (where you do the dancing!)

Seminars

Monday 

The Grounds for Legal Punishment

Key Question: What is legal punishment, and what makes it legitimate?

  • We begin by distinguishing legal punishment from other forms of punishment (e.g., parental discipline, social disapproval). Legal punishment is formal, enforced by the state, and intended to respond to violations of the law.

  • The central issue: the state has extraordinary power to restrict liberty (e.g., incarceration), so we must explain why it is morally justified in doing so.

  • Discussion focuses on the functions (what punishment accomplishes), forms (imprisonment, fines, execution, etc.), and spirit (society’s values and intentions) of legal punishment.

Tuesday 

Consequentialism

Key Question: Should we punish in order to make society better?

  • Consequentialists argue that the justification for punishment lies in its outcomes, such as reducing crime, rehabilitating offenders, protecting society and providing closure or safety to victims.

  • We ask whether punishment is justified purely because it produces beneficial results, rather than because offenders 'deserve' it.

  • We also explore what punishments consequentialists might endorse, e.g., rehabilitation programmes, deterrent sentencing, or incapacitation, and whether harsh punishments are ever justified if they produce good outcomes.

Wednesday 

Retributivism

Key Question: Do we punish because it is deserved, even if it helps no one?

  • Retributivism argues that punishment is justified because the offender has committed a wrongdoing and deserves a response, regardless of whether punishment benefits society.

  • We examine whether there is a moral duty to punish, and whether punishment has value for its own sake as an expression of justice.

  • Discussion includes the kinds of punishments a retributivist might endorse and how they would be proportionate to the crime.

Thursday 

Desert, Moral Responsibility, and Moral Luck

Key Question: Who is truly responsible for their crimes, and who deserves to be punished?

  • This session investigates what it means for someone to be morally responsible. What if their actions are influenced by upbringing, mental health, coercion, or bad luck?

  • We ask how circumstances beyond a person’s control can lessen or remove their responsibility.

  • The class explores debates surrounding whether criminals must deserve punishment in order for punishment to be justifiable.

Friday 

Forms of Punishment

Key Question: What kinds of punishment are morally acceptable?

  • We compare different types of legal punishment: imprisonment, fines, community service, rehabilitation programmes, and even alternatives such as public shaming.

  • A central question: Why is it often considered immoral to punish by 'mirroring' the crime (e.g., harming an assailant)? What principles make other forms, such as imprisonment, acceptable instead?

  • We consider how punishment should reflect justice, social welfare, and respect for human dignity.

Certification

Certificate of Attendance

At the end of the course you will receive a Certificate of Attendance.

Digital badge

You will also be issued with an official digital badge of attendance. After the course, you will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to download this. You will be able to share this on social media and add to your email signature if you wish to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Fee option 1 (single en suite accom and meals per person) £2625.00
Fee option 2 (single standard accom and meals per person) £2275.00
Fee option 3 (twin en suite accom and meals per person) £2435.00
Fee option 4 (no accom; incl lunch and dinner per person) £1855.00

Funding

Please note there are no sources of funding (scholarships, bursaries, etc) available for the Inspiring Oxford Summer School programme.

Payment

All fees are charged on a per week, per person basis

Included in the course fee:

  • Any included excursions (see programme details above) and the full optional social programme.
  • Breakfasts Monday-Saturday (residential guests only), five weekday lunches, and dinners Sunday-Friday. If your course includes a full-day field trip, a packed lunch is normally provided.
  • Morning refreshments and the welcome and closing drinks receptions.

Participants attending multiple weeks

Residential participants staying at Brasenose College for consecutive weeks may arrange an additional Saturday night bed-and-breakfast between courses, available for an additional fee. Please  email inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk to arrange this.

Payment terms

  • If enrolling online: full payment by credit/debit card at the time of booking.
  • If submitting an enrolment form: full payment online by credit/debit card or via bank transfer within 30 days of invoice date.

Please be aware that all payments (and refunds) made via non-UK credit/debit cards and bank accounts are subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.

Course change administration fee

Please note that course transfers may be permitted in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Programme Administrator, up to 1 May 2026; however, in accordance with our terms and conditions for our open access courses, an administration fee of £50 will be charged.​

Cancellations and refunds

Please see the terms and conditions for our open-access courses.

The Department cannot be held responsible for any costs you may incur in relation to travel or accommodation bookings as a result of a course cancellation, or if you are unable to attend the course for any other reason. You are advised to check the terms and conditions carefully and to purchase travel insurance.

Tutor

Mr Ben Lang - Tutor

Ben Lang studied philosophy at Furman University for his undergraduate degree, before obtaining a Masters in Bioethics at New York University. Shortly afterwards, he spent several years working at Baylor College of Medicine on NIH and AHRQ-funded grants at the intersection of AI and Ethics in cardiology care. He is now in the final year of his PhD on the philosophy of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Oxford, a topic he has taught extensively through Oxford Lifelong Learning and across the central University.

Teaching methods

Participants will be taught in seminar groups of up to 16 people.

Teaching methods used during this course may include:

  • Short lectures/presentations
  • Seminars/group discussions
  • Physical handouts

Application

Registration closes on 29 May 2026 at 2pm BST (UK time).

If your preferred course is fully booked, you may wish to add yourself to the waiting list and the Programme Administrator will contact you should a place become available.

Online enrolment (single person accommodation and non-residential)

Single person accommodation and non-residential places should be booked online by clicking on the 'Book now' button at the top of this page. Please do not complete an enrolment form for these. 

If you have any trouble booking online, please contact the Programme Administrator by emailing inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk.

Online enrolments require payment in full at the time of registering.

Single bedroom options:

  • Single en suite: private bathroom facilities (shower, washbasin and toilet).
  • Standard single: private bedroom with shared bathroom facilities (typically shared among four participants).

Enrolment form (multi-occupancy or accessible accommodation)

Twin bedrooms

Those requiring a twin en-suite room (for two people) should complete an enrolment form as these rooms cannot be booked or requested online. Please note these rooms have limited availability. 

If requesting a twin room, each person should complete an enrolment form and name the other person who they wish to share a room with. 

Ground/lower floor accommodation

Brasenose rooms do not have lift access, and the higher rooms can be located up a few flights of stairs. If you need a room on a ground or lower floor please complete an enrolment form and indicate your requirements, or contact the Programme Administrator directly at inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk as soon as possible. 

Enrolment form

The enrolment form is an editable PDF and can be completed electronically, so you should not need to print and scan it. 

Completed forms should be sent:

  • by email to inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk, or

  • by post to Inspiring Oxford, Oxford Lifelong Learning, University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education, 1 Wellington Square, OXFORD, OX1 2JA, UK.

Level and demands

The Inspiring Oxford programme is aimed at non-specialists: no prior knowledge is required, and classes are pitched at an introductory level. Courses are designed for an international audience aged 18 and over.

There are no assessments for this course.

Accommodation

Residential options are outlined below.

Please see the 'application' section above for guidance on how to book or request the right accommodation for you, including how to request a lower/ground floor room.

The course fee includes breakfasts Monday-Saturday (residential guests only), five weekday lunches, and dinners Sunday-Friday. All meals included are served in Brasenose College's dining hall. If your course includes a full-day field trip, a packed lunch is normally provided.

Accommodation options at Brasenose

During your course, for an authentic Oxford University experience you can stay in typical student accommodation at Brasenose College, in the heart of the city in buildings overlooked by the iconic Radcliffe Camera. 

Please note that bedrooms are student rooms. They are simply and modestly-furnished and do not have air-conditioning. You can find out more about Brasenose and its facilities by visiting their website.

The following types of accommodation are available. 

  • Single en suite: private bathroom facilities (shower, washbasin and toilet).
  • Twin en suite: shared between participants that apply to the programme together, with private bathroom facilities.
  • Standard single: private bedroom with shared bathroom facilities (typically shared among four participants).

Non-residential option

Prefer not to stay on site? We also offer places on a non-residential basis whereby participants can take classes and have lunch and dinner at Brasenose College, having arranged their own accommodation elsewhere. Breakfast is not included.

Non-residential participants are warmly encouraged to take part in every aspect of the academic and social programme and enjoy the same access to Brasenose facilities as residential participants.

Participants attending multiple weeks

We welcome students who want to attend multiple Inspiring Oxford courses. Residential participants staying at Brasenose College for consecutive weeks may arrange an additional Saturday night bed-and-breakfast between courses, available for an additional fee. This option ensures a seamless and enjoyable stay in Oxford.

Accommodation before/after your course

We are unable to arrange accommodation at Brasenose College prior to or following your course. Please visit universityrooms.com if you require additional nights of bed and breakfast accommodation, and they may be able to assist.

Additionally, family or friends who are not enrolled in the programme cannot be accommodated in college. 

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support