142 THE CKEED OF SCIENCE, RELIGIOUS AND MORAL. 



for you, especially since you have been convicted of the 

 crime ; and society in self-defence must make the fear of 

 punishment stronger in your apprehension in future, as 

 well as in others resembling you ; and there is no other 

 way in which this can be so effectually done as by making 

 you experience punishment in severe and unpleasant form. 

 You have attacked society in one of its essential founda- 

 tions, the rights of property, and society is justified in 

 repelling such attacks. It is just to defend just rights, 

 and to do so by means of punishment, which is society's 

 means of defence, is just. Further, it is not only just, 

 but the general weal absolutely requires it; for all which 

 reasons I, as the representative of society, and moved by 

 considerations for its security, must pass such a sentence 

 of punishment on you as the gravity of your offence 

 justly deserves." 



So much by way of answer to the metaphysical 

 burglar. And most of the argument applies to the case 

 of him who has taken life ; only that here the further 

 and more special question of the justice of capital punish- 

 ment enters a question which, however, does not con- 

 cern us at present. 



Thus punishment may be defended as just on the 

 motive theory as well as on the rival theory of free-will. 

 Mill goes even further, maintaining that it is only on 

 the motive theory that punishment has any true signifi- 

 cance or justification ; that it would miss its aim if the 

 will were not determined by motives. Punishment, in 

 his opinion, owes its sole efficacy to its being a motive 

 which will certainly have an influence amongst the 

 others at work, which will certainly be taken into more 

 or less serious account by all who meditate crime against 

 society. " Punishment," he says, " proceeds on the as- 

 sumption that the will is governed by motives. If 



