Conclusions

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter begins with a summary of what has been accomplished in the previous eight chapters, in which the nature of accountability as a virtue has been defined and developed, and its importance for ethics and religion defended. Understanding accountability as a virtue could have a profound, positive impact on society. The chapter then focuses on the connection between accountability and punishment, since our current understanding of accountability focuses largely on holding people accountable in negative ways. The chapter argues that punishment, while not central in the motivation of the person who has the virtue, can play an educative role in the formation of the virtue, as well as providing protection for society. Nevertheless, recognizing the nature of the virtue and the limits of punishment would provide strong support for the restorative justice movement, which seeks to help people become accountable and seeks alternatives to incarceration which can help heal relationships. There is evidence that prisons themselves can be transformed through programs, many religious in character, which seek to help inmates develop a sense of accountability, one grounded in a new sense of identity. In addition to restorative justice, there is need for restorative prisons. The impact that recognizing accountability with respect to criminal justice is just one example from many possibilities of how the concept could be a help in the quest for human well-being and flourishing.