This introductory volume provides a historical and systematic overview of moral philosophical, legal theoretical, and sociological theories regarding the justification, function, and critique of punishment. It examines classical theories of punishment from Kant, Hegel, Franz von Liszt to Durkheim, as well as critical approaches from postcolonial theory, Marxism, and abolitionism, transcending disciplinary boundaries. It also discusses less prominent authors in the criminal law debate, such as Bentham and Nietzsche, along with the neuroscientific discussion on the question of culpability. Finally, the book presents radical alternatives to the current neoliberal enjoyment of punishment through the depiction of restorative and transformative justice theories, as well as the African Ubuntu concept.