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Capital punishment in an ethical view
Arguments that the death penalty should be acceptable
Arguments For Capital Punishment
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Recommended: Capital punishment in an ethical view
A Non-Pacifist Argument Against Capital Punishment
ABSTRACT: In this paper I present a moral argument against capital punishment that does not depend upon the claim that all killing is immoral. The argument is directed primarily against non-philosophers in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Oddly, the moral argument against capital punishment has not been effective in the United States despite the biblical injunction against killing. Religious supporters of the death penalty often invoke a presumed distinction between ‘killing’ and ‘murdering’ and avow that God forbade the latter but not the former. Self-defense and just wars are cited as cases of morally justified killing. Accepting these premises, I point out that when cases of justified killing in self-defense are altered to include an element of delay, disarming and premeditation, they too become murder. Since the death penalty clearly involves the elements of delay, disarming and premeditation, I conclude that the death penalty is murder in the biblical sense and ought to be abolished in any God-fearing (or otherwise moral) society.
Traditional opposition to capital punishment has generally been based on one or more of the following claims: (1) Capital punishment is immoral because all killing is immoral, (2) Capital punishment is unjust because killing is irreversible, or (3) Capital punishment is ineffective because killing is not a deterrent to killing.
I propose to argue instead that capital punishment is immoral because of the kind of killing it is, rather than because it is a kind of killing simpliciter. This is a specifically moral argument, but it differs from the usual pacifist argument in that it does not assert or depend upon the claim that all killing is i...
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...emeditation, they too become murder. Since the death penalty clearly involves the elements of delay, disarming, and premeditation, I conclude that the death penalty is murder in the biblical sense and ought to be abolished in any God-fearing society.
Notes
(1) Haines, Herbert H., Against Capital Punishment, p. 163
(2) Shin, Kilman, Death Penalty and Crime: Empirical Studies, p. 4-5
Bibliography
Haines, Herbert H., Against Capital Punishment: The Anti-Death Penalty Movement in America, 1972-1994; New York/Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996
Hart, Harold H. (ed.), Punishment: For & Against; New York: Hart Publishing Company, Inc., 1971
Shin, Kilman, Death Penalty and Crime: Empirical Studies; Fairfax, VA: George Mason University Center for Economic Analysis, 1978
Sorell, Tom, Moral Theory and Capital Punishment; Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1987
Randa, Laura E. “Society’s Final Solution: A History and Discussion of the Death Penalty.” (1997). Rpt.in History of the Death Penalty. Ed. Michael H. Reggio. University Press of America, Inc., 1997. 1-6 Print.
Pham, Phuong N., Patrick Vinck, and Eric Stover. "The Lord's Resistance Army and Forced Conscription in Northern Uganda." The Lord's Resistance Army and Forced Conscription in Northern Uganda 30.2 (2008): 409. JSTOR. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
In summary, Radelet & Borg (2000) draw three general observations from the data. First, there have been significant changes in the arguments made for and against the death penalty in the United States. While the case of cost is admittedly not as clear as the other areas, retribution has become the only real justification for capital punishment. Second, countries around the world have been, and continue to be, declining in their usage of the death penalty. Last, social science scholars are being listened to. More research is being published on key issues, and changes are being implemented, albeit seemingly slowly, in accordance with research conducted by criminologists.
"U.S. Relations With Uganda." U.S. Department of State, 08 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 May 2014. .
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25 Hugo Adams Bedau, The Death Penalty in America: Current Controversies (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997) 250.
In this paper I will argue for the moral permissibility of the death penalty and I am fairly confident that when the case for capital punishment is made properly, its appeal to logic and morality is compelling. The practice of the death penalty is no longer as wide-spread as it used to be throughout the world; in fact, though the death penalty was nearly universal in past societies, only 71 countries world-wide still officially permit the death penalty (www.infoplease.com); the U.S. being among them. Since colonial times, executions have taken place in America, making them a part of its history and tradition. Given the pervasiveness of the death penalty in the past, why do so few countries use the death penalty, and why are there American states that no longer sanction its use? Is there a moral wrong involved in the taking of a criminal’s life? Of course the usual arguments will be brought up, but beyond the primary discourse most people do not go deeper than their “gut feeling” or personal convictions. When you hear about how a family was ruthlessly slaughtered by a psychopathic serial killer most minds instantly feel that this man should be punished, but to what extent? Would it be just to put this person to death?
... found justice for the victim who lost their lives at the hand of a criminal. The critics of capital punishment argue that the government over reached it authority pertaining to the death penalty and have sought to judge in God stead. However, the advocates of capital punishment argue that many nations whether modern or ancient has used capital punishment as a method of justice. This author think that capital murder is a debatable issue that should always be approach with caution.
In the story “ Romeo and Juliet “ Shakespeare shows that Love is stronger than hate. Juliet is willing to risk everything by drinking the potion to remain loyal to Romeo. Juliet loves Romeo so much and doesn’t want to marry Paris , So she fakes her death by drinking a potion to fake her death. Romeo and Juliet love finally ends feud that has been going on for generations. Romeo and Juliet’s love each other so much it cancels out all the hate and problems. Romeo discovers that Juliet is Capulet after falling in love with her but doesn’t let the fact that the family hates, affect his love. Juliet was a Capulet and Romeo was a Montague but, Romeo didn’t care because he was so caught up on his love for Juliet. “Is she a Capulet ? ”Oh. no my
Hecht, David. “Sierra Leone Dispatch.” The New Republic 3 Nov. 1997: 1-3. eLibrary. Web. 14 Feb. 2011.
According to Uganda’s history with the British, on Tuesday October 9, 1962, Uganda gained its independence from Great Britain as a parliamentary democratic monarchy with traditional kingdoms meaning that the British should have never had control of who and how the Ugandan wolf street should have been handled but that was never an issue since the Uganda people had never really had a power figure that was Ugandan prior to that. Many Indians in southeast Africa and Uganda were in sartorial and banking businesses where they were being employed by the British. Knowing that Uganda was in a time of need whereby they were trying to rebuild their country after their fight for independence, president Idi Amin got tired of people that weren’t Ugandan holding higher positions that they Ugandan people. When the British starting giving Indians better jobs and made sure they held higher position in jobs that weren’t even that high, it started to cause a social division and stereotyping of the common minority races. I% of the population yet they were receiving a fifth of the national income meaning that the one percent that weren’t even Uganda or hadn’t fought for the Ugandan independence, were making twice as much money as a regular working born
There are many interesting things about Uganda. In this research paper, I'm am going to talk about Uganda's history, government, geography, religions and customs. Uganda is like the United States in some way even though they are 8,180 miles away.
Americans have argued over the death penalty since the early days of our country. In the United States only 38 states have capital punishment statutes. As of year ended in 1999, in Texas, the state had executed 496 prisoners since 1930. The laws in the United States have change drastically in regards to capital punishment. An example of this would be the years from 1968 to 1977 due to the nearly 10 year moratorium. During those years, the Supreme Court ruled that capital punishment violated the Eight Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. However, this ended in 1976, when the Supreme Court reversed the ruling. They stated that the punishment of sentencing one to death does not perpetually infringe the Constitution. Richard Nixon said, “Contrary to the views of some social theorists, I am convinced that the death penalty can be an effective deterrent against specific crimes.”1 Whether the case be morally, monetarily, or just pure disagreement, citizens have argued the benefits of capital punishment. While we may all want murders off the street, the problem we come to face is that is capital punishment being used for vengeance or as a deterrent.
Eagan, Jeffrey A. “Capital Punishment: Deterrent Effects and Capital Costs.” Law.columbia.edu. Columbia Law School, 2013. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.
Arguments against capital punishment include religious and spiritual concerns about killing; belief that it does not deter; race, gender, and class