A01=Barry Lam
arbitrary
Author_Barry Lam
Category=QDTQ
Category=QDTS
cop
crime
criminal justice
decision
decision-making
discretion
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
ethics
fair
hi-phi nation
judgment
justice
law
moral
morality
philosophy
police
power
prison
rules
unfair
Product details
- ISBN 9781324051244
- Weight: 316g
- Dimensions: 147 x 218mm
- Publication Date: 11 Feb 2025
- Publisher: WW Norton & Co
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Hardback
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Wherever there’s a rule, there is someone with the power to apply or ignore it—or add to it, in the interest of justice. From enforcing chores to issuing life sentences, decision-makers deliver flawed and sometimes arbitrary outcomes. But is their use of discretion good or bad overall? As a society, should we seek to minimise or maximise discretion, with all its potential for bias and other kinds of human error?
Reframing our understanding of justice and ethics, philosopher Barry Lam argues that while use of discretion—whether by a sports referee, a parent, a police officer or a judge—can never be perfect, removing it has even more problematic effects. Mandatory arrests and sentencing laws have not eliminated bias, but have corrupted the courtroom, institutionalised lying and brought about even more unjust and arbitrary results. Fewer Rules, Better People is a bold, riveting treatise that sheds new light on political debates about law and justice while aiming to prepare us for the imminent threat of more “perfect”, discretion-less rule-enforcement by AI.
Barry Lam is a professor of philosophy at the University of California, Riverside, and the host and producer of the Hi-Phi Nation podcast for Slate, a show about the moral and philosophical issues implicated in science, law, and everyday life.
