LSAT 105 | Section 3 | Reading Comprehension: Q9

RC Question 9 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: According to the passage, the second rationale for punishing …

DISCUSSION: The second rationale refers to retributivism, and why it’s controversial is discussed in paragraph 2.

It states that some people find it hard to justify punishment without societal benefit because without any benefit it’s just vengeance.

___________

1. CORRECT. The passage explicitly states this at the end of paragraph 2. Retributivism justifies punishment without considering social benefit, which is why some find it problematic.
2. This is actually the critique of social-benefit, not retributivism.
3. Again, this gets it wrong. Retributivism aligns with our intuition that punishments should be proportional.
4. It’s never claimed that retributivism denies deterrence, just that deterrence is not its focus.
5. The passage never says it’s illogical.