The concept of appropriateness (absent in social-benefit rationale) is what accounts for the intuition of proportionality in punishment. It's not about beneficial punishment. It's about just punishment.
Critique of and Alternate Solution ·Intuition can be justified with social-benefit rationale
The retributivist notions of appropriateness, proportionality, and justice can be reframed as balancing benefit to society against cost to the individual.
Actual Answer / Main Point ·The retributivist intuitions are grounded in social-benefit rationale
Passage Style
Single position
9.
According to the passage, the ██████ █████████ ███ █████████ █████████ ██ █████████████ ███████ ██
Question Type
Stated
The author tells us in the middle of P2 why the second rationale (retributivist rationale) is controversial: “This rationale is controversial because some find it difficult to see how a punishment can be justified if it brings no societal benefit; without such benefit, punishment would appear to be little more than retribution.”
a
does not employ ███ ██████ ██ ██████ ███████
This best captures the reason the retributivist rationale is controversial.
88%
b
allows for disproportionately ██████ ███████████
Anti-supported. The retributivist rationale allows for proportionality to play a role in the level of punishment.
4%
c
conflicts with our ██████████ █████ ███████
Not supported, because the author actually says that the social-benefit rationale can lead to conflicts with our intuitions about justice.
4%
d
implies that punishment ████ ███ █████ █████████
The author never suggests that the retributivist rationale implies that punishment does not deter criminals or that this is the reason the rationale is controversial.
1%
e
arises from intuition ██████ ████ █████
The author never suggests the retributivist rationale is controversial because it arises from intuition.
2%
Difficulty
88% of people who answer get this correct
This is a slightly challenging question.
It is significantly easier than other questions in this passage.
CURVE
Score of students with a 50% chance of getting this right
25%120
133
75%150
Analysis
Stated
Stated
Stems asking us to identify an idea that appears explicitly in the passage (as opposed to ideas that are merely implied).
