2: The Embryonic Abolitionist Ideas of William Godwin in the Late 18th Century

Author:
Ruby Tuke
Publication Date:
19 Mar 2025
Pages:
33–49
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51952/9781529234800.ch002
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William Godwin, author, radical philosopher and proto-anarchist, was one of the most famous political theorists in Britain in the late 18th century. His political works and novels from the 1790s offer a profound critique of the kinds of punitive and reformative justice models that were emerging during this period. Godwin repeatedly claims that criminals are not born but made: he dissects the institution of the prison and the legitimacy of punishment from what would today be considered a penal abolitionist perspective. His support for a form of community-based justice, which seeks to repair harm done to victim and instil accountability in the offender, pre-dates yet aligns with contemporary models of restorative justice. However, the political philosopher’s pioneering ideas have been largely absent from any critical discussion of the history of these related movements. This chapter demonstrates how Godwin’s bold theories about the origins of crime and the use of punishment correspond with the principles of the present-day penal abolitionist and restorative movements. It suggests that understanding the precise nature of his prophetic ideas can, in turn, inform and strengthen contemporary discourse and practices.

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