> But not necessarily by giving them morally good intentions. I am not a
> behaviorist. The view of the law I give here is entirely neutral on any
> theory of the nature of mind. It is consistent with Cartesian dualism or
> eliminative materialism. The point is that the law doesn't care about your
> intentions as long as you behave. Deterrence means putting would-be bad
guys
> in fear of the consequences of getting caught. The law doesn't care if you
> are a good person who obeys the rules because of inbred decency rather
than
> a bad person who chafes at the bit, so long as you obey them.
I wasn't referring to the substitution of morally good intentions where bad ones had previously taken root, rather I was trying to point out that you have to prevent the "bad guys" from attempting bad acts. If you institute a law that fails to deter people from trying to do what the law forbids, it seems unlikely that the law will change what people will actually do, either.
-- Luke