Friday, June 20, 2014

Victimhood in the Courts

Courtroom depictions of human beings as the mere products of their biology or environment help reshape how we view ourselves.  Even if such portrayals ultimately fail to secure acquittals, they contribute to a new cultural understanding of humans as victims of their biology and environment, rather than as morally accountable agents who are responsible for their choices.

John G. West, "Darwin Day in America: How our politics and culture have been dehumanized in the name of science," p. 78

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