Overview

This book provides a comprehensive examination of the police role from within a broader philosophical context. Contending that the police are in the midst of an identity crisis that exacerbates unjustified law enforcement tactics, Luke William Hunt examines various major conceptions of the police—those seeing them as heroes, warriors, and guardians. The book looks at the police role considering the overarching societal goal of justice and seeks to present a synthetic theory that draws upon history, law, society, psychology, and philosophy. Each major conception of the police role is examined in light of how it affects the pursuit of justice, and how it may be contrary to seeking justice holistically and collectively. The book sets forth a conception of the police role that is consistent with the basic values of a constitutional democracy in the liberal tradition. Hunt’s intent is that clarifying the police role will likewise elucidate any constraints upon policing strategies, including algorithmic strategies such as predictive policing. This book is essential reading for thoughtful policing and legal scholars as well as those interested in political philosophy, political theory, psychology, and related areas. Now more than ever, the nature of the police role is a philosophical topic that is relevant not just to police officials and social scientists, but to everyone.

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9780367700249

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Reviews

As the role of the police has become a hotly debated issue facing American society, this book identifies the various lenses through which contemporary law enforcement may be understood, each with its own implications for policy and practice. The author offers a well conceptualized framework that draws upon the nexus of law, philosophy, criminal justice, and field experience, blending real-world examples with philosophical context in a most engaging read. Relevant to scholars, practitioners, policy makers, and the public, this book will shape many future conversations about the law enforcement role. Stephen S. Owen Interim Chair, Department of Political Science and Professor of Criminal Justice Radford University From the psychology of archetypes, to an examination of warrior masculinity, the tenets of political liberalism, and the blue wall of silence , Luke Hunt provides a perspective on policing that only someone with his unique set of experiences can provide. This book is personal, political, and deeply insightful all at once. Barry Lam Slate's Hi-Phi Nation podcast and Associate Professor and Chair Vassar College Department of Philosophy It is hard to imagine a timelier book than this engaging and illuminating meditation on the current identity crisis of the police. Luke William Hunt provides a clear overview of a range of police self-understandings (hero, warrior, guardian), each of which is contextualized within a richly-described philosophical and psychological history, before developing his own conception of a police role rooted in the tradition of liberal democracy. A vital and rewarding read. Brian R. Clack Professor of Philosophy & A. Vassiliadis Director of the Humanities Center University of San Diego

As the role of the police has become a hotly debated issue facing American society, this book identifies the various lenses through which contemporary law enforcement may be understood, each with its own implications for policy and practice. The author offers a well conceptualized framework that draws upon the nexus of law, philosophy, criminal justice, and field experience, blending real-world examples with philosophical context in a most engaging read. Relevant to scholars, practitioners, policy makers, and the public, this book will shape many future conversations about the law enforcement role. Stephen S. Owen, Ph.D. Interim Chair, Department of Political Science and Professor of Criminal Justice Radford University From the psychology of archetypes, to an examination of warrior masculinity, the tenets of political liberalism, and the blue wall of silence , Luke Hunt provides a perspective on policing that only someone with his unique set of experiences can provide. This book is personal, political, and deeply insightful all at once. Barry Lam Slate's Hi-Phi Nation podcast and Associate Professor and Chair Vassar College Department of Philosophy It is hard to imagine a timelier book than this engaging and illuminating meditation on the current identity crisis of the police. Luke William Hunt provides a clear overview of a range of police self-understandings (hero, warrior, guardian), each of which is contextualized within a richly-described philosophical and psychological history, before developing his own conception of a police role rooted in the tradition of liberal democracy. A vital and rewarding read. Brian R. Clack Professor of Philosophy & A. Vassiliadis Director of the Humanities Center University of San Diego

Author Information

Luke William Hunt is a member of the faculty at the University of Alabama, where his work lies at the intersection of philosophy of law, political philosophy, and criminal justice. He is the author of The Retrieval of Liberalism in Policing (Oxford, 2019). Prior to entering academia, he worked as an FBI Special Agent.

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