»Irren ist menschlich«

For what reasons and according to which criteria is a perpetrator responsible for unforeseen consequences of his criminal act? Christoph Burchard approaches these classical problems by illustrating the normativity of criminal intent and error of fact. To foreclose arbitrary judgments, he reconciles the doctrines of error of fact and criminal guilt. What is more, he substantiates these doctrines philosophically, firstly by reference to Max Weber's ethics of responsibility, and secondly by recognizing and thus emancipating the fellow human being who is attacked by the offender. Applying these principles to concrete cases, the author presents stringent and coherent solutions, which partially bolster, partially challenge, and partially restructure positions advanced by courts and academics.