Fields L
Dundee University.
J Med Ethics. 1987 Dec;13(4):201-5. doi: 10.1136/jme.13.4.201.
Mental illness may be manifested in the impairment of understanding or of volitional control. Impairment of understanding may be manifested in delusions. Impairment of volitional control is shown when a person is unable to act in accordance with good reasons that he himself accepts. In order for an impairment of understanding or of self-control to exculpate, the offence must be causally connected with the impairment in question. The rationale of exculpation in general, which applies also to the case of mental illness, is that the offence does not indicate a morally bad attitude in the offender. A consequence of this rationale is that Kenny is wrong to hold that no injustice would result from the elimination of the legal defence of diminished responsibility.
精神疾病可能表现为认知或意志控制的损害。认知损害可能表现为妄想。当一个人无法按照自己认可的合理理由行事时，就表明存在意志控制损害。为了使认知或自我控制的损害成为免责理由，犯罪行为必须与相关损害存在因果联系。一般免责的基本原理（也适用于精神疾病的情况）是，犯罪行为并未表明犯罪者存在道德上的不良态度。这一基本原理的一个结果是，肯尼认为取消减轻责任的法律抗辩不会导致不公正的观点是错误的。
