The Ethical Ambiguity Concerning the Death Penalty

The question of ethical behavior is an age-old conundrum. The prevailing issue with ethics is that it is extremely difficult to measure. A person’s moral fabric is largely based on their particular personality traits, as well as, their psychological state and environmental influences. Many believe that ethics are tied to a person’s conscience, and that good morals are often facilitated by a strong religious background. Furthermore, a person’s moral development can be linked to their economic situation and cultural differences. Interestingly, even while examining the status of one’s moral code is challenging; everyone seems to have their own unique array of ethics.

While this is an ambiguous subject, wracked with speculation and ambivalence, it is an appealing topic of study. A curious facet of the ethical dilemma is that it transcends various fields of interest. The ethics issue is scrutinized by philosophers and psychologists, but this theme is frequently introduced in other curricula. Accounting, for example, has its own set of ethical mandates. Moreover, nearly every profession is impacted by a generally accepted code of ethics – doctors, lawyers, contractors, and the list goes on! In fact, almost every day an individual is confronted with a moral decision.

Presently, a driving ethical debate in the United States is the decision to embrace or abolish the death penalty. This debate is notable because it impacts several different segments of society. Capital punishment can prove to be beneficial to our community because practicing the death penalty, both appropriately and efficiently, can produce advantageous results. Consider the amount of government money being hemorrhaged into the justice system; as well as, the poignant...

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...athetic indifference, is it ethical for them to be granted life?

Another, perhaps disparate, element to the moral quandary of capital punishment stems from a more economic perspective. Consider all of the government money being hemorrhaged into the penal system, is it “right” for tax-payer dollars to be spent keeping these people alive?! The vast majority of murderers have forfeited their function in society, and now they are being supported indefinitely until they die. These people are getting three meals a day, exercise, television time, and they are even allowed communal privileges. Many of these revolting degenerates live a more carefree and structured life in the clink than some impoverished citizens.

However, the deceased victim, an often overlooked component of this intriguing debate should be presented as an essential staple to the ethics examination.