Fewer Rules, Better People
The Case for Discretion
Seiten
2026
WW Norton & Co (Verlag)
978-1-324-12335-4 (ISBN)
WW Norton & Co (Verlag)
978-1-324-12335-4 (ISBN)
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A philosopher argues that the proliferation of rules and mandates is making us dumber, less moral, more deceptive and less able to govern important institutions
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, Barry Lam argues that while use of discretion can never be perfect, removing it has more problematic effects. Mandatory arrests and sentencing laws do not eliminate bias but corrupt the courtroom, institutionalise lying and bring about unjust and arbitrary results. Fewer Rules, Better People sheds new light on political debates about law and justice while preparing us for the imminent threat of discretion-less rule-enforcement by AI.
A Norton Short
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, Barry Lam argues that while use of discretion can never be perfect, removing it has more problematic effects. Mandatory arrests and sentencing laws do not eliminate bias but corrupt the courtroom, institutionalise lying and bring about unjust and arbitrary results. Fewer Rules, Better People sheds new light on political debates about law and justice while preparing us for the imminent threat of discretion-less rule-enforcement by AI.
A Norton Short
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.
| Erscheint lt. Verlag | 20.2.2026 |
|---|---|
| Reihe/Serie | A Norton Short |
| Verlagsort | New York |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Maße | 140 x 211 mm |
| Gewicht | 143 g |
| Themenwelt | Geisteswissenschaften ► Philosophie ► Ethik |
| Sozialwissenschaften | |
| ISBN-10 | 1-324-12335-4 / 1324123354 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1-324-12335-4 / 9781324123354 |
| Zustand | Neuware |
| Informationen gemäß Produktsicherheitsverordnung (GPSR) | |
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