Prevention and Imminence, Pre-punishment and Actuality
Journal: Digital USD (University of San Diego)
Year: 2011

In a variety of circumstances, it is justified to harm persons, or deprive them of liberty, in order to prevent them from doing something objectionable. We see this in interactions between individuals-think of self-defense or defense of others-and we see it in large-scale interactions among groups-think of preemptive measures taken by countries against conspiring terrorists, plotting dictators, or ambitious nations. We can argue, of course, about the details. Under exactly what conditions is it