Argument Against The Death Penalty - 1247 Words

In the wise words of the philosopher Immanuel Kant, â€Å"a society that is not willing to demand a life of somebody who has taken somebody else’s life is simply immoral.† When considering the issue of capital punishment, many arguments are made in favor of proponents and abolitionists. There are utilitarian arguments, retributive arguments, and egalitarian arguments. Utilitarian arguments argue against the death penalty, for they look to punish criminals for the benefit and the â€Å"lesson learned† from the punishment. They believe that this is the most effective form of deterrence, because the criminal will learn their lesson and the public will benefit from safety from having the offender incapacitated. In conclusion, utilitarian arguments consider the costs and benefits of different forms of punishment. From the retributivist perspective, the future benefit that might be gained from punishment is irrelevant; all that matters is that the offender is given what he deserves. In this case, kindness begets kindness, and crime begets an appropriate punishment. The ultimate aim of retributivists is to do the right thing regardless of the consequences. And finally, the egalitarian arguments are based on the principle that people should be treated how they treat others. This is correct in the logic that people do in fact deserve to be treated fairly, but in the context of death penalty, the egalitarian arguments differ greatly from retributive arguments in the sense that it isn’tShow MoreRelatedA Argument Against The Death Penalty1647 Words   |  7 Pagespunishable by death or life imprisonment without the possibility of parole when specific â€Å"Special Circumstances† of the crime have been charged or been proven in court. It is possible though to be released by the parole board after a minimum of 25 years if they feel you are worthy. The death penalty is a topic that the United States is divided on. Currently there are 31 states with the death penalty and California is on that list. In 2012 a ballot was proposed that would appeal the death penalty as theRead MoreArgument For And Against The Death Penalty1051 W ords   |  5 Pages When arguing for or against a topic, the goal is to convince others to accept you opinion, take your opinion seriously, and you must seek common ground in order to establish some form of compromise. A good communicator must be specific, contestable, significant and reasonable. For this assignment, I will be arguing for and against The Death Penalty. When it comes to a topic such as The Death Penalty, many individuals cannot fathom the idea of putting another human to death because it is not permanentlyRead MoreArguments Against The Death Penalty Essay1482 Words   |  6 Pagesthere are thirty-one states with the death penalty and nineteen without. There are many reasons why the death penalty should be abolished, it violates the offender’s rights to life and the offense of human dignity. Yet many individuals still insist on the death penalty. Bedau argues against capital punishment through his argument â€Å"The Minimal Invasion Argument Against the Death Penalty’. His argument strongly encourages life imprisonment over the death penalty for various reasons. Below I will provideRead More Argument Against the Death Penalty Essay3418 Words   |  14 PagesArgument Against the Death Penalty Life is sacred. This is an ideal that the majority of people can agree upon to a certain extent. For this reason taking the life of another has always been considered the most deplorable of crimes, one worthy of the harshest available punishment. Thus arises one of the great moral dilemmas of our time. Should taking the life of one who has taken the life of others be considered an available punishment? Is a murderers life any less sacred than the victimsRead MoreArgument Against The Death Penalty Essay1181 Words   |  5 PagesIn 1992, 17 year old Johnny Frank Garrett was put to death for confessing to raping and murdering a 72-year old nun. A crime as heinous as this certainly deserves the death penalty as a punishment right? The only problem is that Garrett didnt do it. Garrett was in fact, a mentally ill man who suffered severe childhood trauma, significant brain damage and multiple personality disorder. His mental instability and repeated police interrogation are only things tha t caused him to confess to killing theRead MoreArguments For and Against the Reintroduction of the Death Penalty for Murder1276 Words   |  6 PagesArguments For and Against the Reintroduction of the Death Penalty for Murder The death penalty was abolished in the United Kingdom in 1965. (Blackwell 1968.) The abolishment of the death penalty was not a simple case. Since 1957 the issue had been before the House of Commons more than 19 times. However the death penalty is still used today in many countries across the world. During the year 2000 at least 3,058 people were sentenced to death in 65 differentRead MoreSocrates s Argument Against The Death Penalty1189 Words   |  5 Pagesinstead of facing banishment, however, the court decided to give him the death penalty. There he slept in prison when Criton approached and attempted to persuade him to escape. He declined as it would go against his logic and reasoning he taught his whole life. Was it â€Å"just† of him to accept the death penalty that was catalyzed by absurd accusations? This paper will argue that it was Socrates â€Å"right† to accept the death penalty due to the consent he made with the society he resided in. When CritoRead MoreDiscuss the arguments for and against the re-introduction of the death penalty in the UK for crimes of murder.1778 Words   |  8 Pagesï » ¿Discuss the arguments for and against the re-introduction of the death penalty in the UK for crimes of murder. Capital punishment is the act of executing somebody as a punishment for a crime that they have committed. Despite being around since the eighteenth century B.C, the death penalty was abolished in 1965 in the United Kingdom. Since then there has been a large amount of controversy and debate surrounding the matter, with some people wishing for capital punishment to be reintroduced forRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is A Controversial Issue1171 Words   |  5 PagesThe death penalty is a very controversial topic worldwide. People are either for the death penalty, or against it, and there is usually no changing their mind by introducing arguments that are contrary to their opinion. The death penalty debate is not a new one, â€Å"capital punishment [has been] practiced since colonial times despite persistent debates† (Jost). However, it was around the 1960s when countries began to abolish, or strictly restrain the death penalty (Jost). The death penalty has existedRead MoreThe Debate Over Capital Punishment936 Words   |  4 Pagescapital punishment is in regards to whether the death penalty contradicts the Eighth Amendment. If the death penalty does contradict the Eight Amendment, then the State should not have the power to sentence criminals to death for capital crimes. However, if capital punishment is not against the Eighth Amendment, then the State has the right to sentence criminals to death. In this essay I will first summarize Justice Brennan’s argument on why the death penalty is beyond the power of the State to inflict