Date of Award
1996
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Philosophy
Supervisor
Mark Vorobej
Abstract
All rules or laws depend for their enforcement upon some means of detecting infractions. In this paper I argue that, particularly in the liberal state, the most appropriate and effective means of detection is the complaint of the victim, and I discuss the perils associated with legislation that fails to take this simple principle into account. My arguments are illustrated with examples both from my personal experience in designing rules for a live roleplaying game system (which I claim is a microcosm for the liberal state) and from such real-world cases as the War on Drugs, the exploitation of illegal immigrant labour, and the zina laws of Pakistan.
Recommended Citation
Cantine, Thomas M., "THE ROLE OF DETECTION IN RULE ENFORCEMENT" (1996). Open Access Dissertations and Theses. Paper 6620.
http://digitalcommons.mcmaster.ca/opendissertations/6620
McMaster University Library