Punishment is a deeply seated element of human societies and is especially prevalent in the United States. From corporal punishment of young children, to fines and penalties for infractions, to incarceration – punishment is ubiquitous and readily applied to a wide variety of circumstances. It is rare, though, to see overt signs of punishment in Ethical Societies. I wonder why that is and whether Ethical Societies are missing out on an effective avenue for organizational development? In this talk I’ll take a look at some pros and cons of punitive practices and consider them from an ethical lens.

This is a hybrid Platform. You can join on Zoom or in person.

Bart Worden has been the clergy leader for the Westchester Community for Ethical Culture since 1998 and the Executive Director of the American Ethical Union, the national federation of Ethical Culture and Ethical Humanist Societies, since 2012. Bart is, in addition, a Social Worker who has worked with programs that help people recover from psychiatric disabilities. As the child of parents who were invested in good behavior and as a father of two boys and an administrator, Bart has had numerous opportunities to consider punishment as a parental or supervisory tool.