Page:A Philosophical Inquiry Concerning Human Liberty (3rd ed., 1735).djvu/83

 To which I answer, that the sole end of punishment in society is to prevent, as far as may be, the commission of certain crimes: and that punishments have their designed effect two ways; first, by restraining or cutting off from society the vicious members; and secondly, by correcting men or terrifying them from the commission of those crimes. Now let punishments be inflicted with either of these views, it will be manifest, that no regard is had to any free-agency in man, in order to render those punishments just; but that on the contrary punishments may be justly inflicted on man tho’ a necessary agent. For, first, if murderers for example, or any such vicious members are cut off from society, merely as they are publick nuisances, and unfit to live among men; it is plain they are in that case so far from being consider’d as free-agents, that they are cut off from society as a canker’d branch is from a tree, or as a mad dog is kill’d in the streets. And the punishment of such men is just, as it takes mischievous members out of society. Also, for the same reason, furious madmen, whom all allow