The Arguments Surrounding Capital Punishment - 907 Words

Theory of Retribution The arguments surrounding capital punishment have focused primarily on its ability to provide general deterrence. Instead of focusing on a purely utilitarian aspect of capital punishment, it may be useful to analyze the death penalty through a morality perspective. The idea of retribution often carries a negative connotation because of its equivocation with the concept of revenge. While they may externally seem similar, they are far from analogous when analyzing the underlying motivations driving the two ideological perspectives. In order to enjoy the benefits that a legal system makes possible, each man must be prepared to make an important sacrifice -namely, the sacrifice of obeying the law even when he does not desire to do so. Each man calls on others to do this, and it is only just or fair that he bears a comparable burden when his turn comes. Now if the system is to remain just, it is important to guarantee that those who disobey will not thereby gain an unfair advantage over those who obey voluntarily. Criminal punishment thus attempts to maintain the proper balance between benefit and obedience by insuring that there is no profit in criminal wrongdoing. (Gerstein, 1974) When individuals choose to obey the law, they are in essence entering into a social contract with American society. If individuals agree to follow the law, society then agrees to provide them with the necessary protections afforded through the law and our society’s sense ofShow MoreRelatedDeath Penalty Argumentative Essay1424 Words   |  6 Pages or capital punishment, is the execution of an offender that is sentenced to death by a court of law for a criminal offense.   This type of punishment for inmates is involved in controversy over whether or not it is an acceptable form of punishment for criminals and also whether or not it is immoral.   There are many arguments for both sides of the debate, each making valid points and pointing out the flaws of the opposing position. Many religions are either for or against capital punishment, dueRead MoreDeath Penalty On Violent Criminals1520 Words   |  7 PagesBrandon Bechtel Miller English 1301 B5 28 November 2015 Death Penalty on Violent Criminals The Death penalty, known as capital punishment is when a criminal is executed by a governing authority. We (the United States) continue to allow the death penalty. Many countries make the death penalty illegal. Many discussions over this being legal, moral ethical, and economic ramifications of the death penalty are continuous across the world. Most of the nations have at one time made the death penaltyRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Dante s Inferno954 Words   |  4 Pagesto its readers. As well as, depict what Dante believed hell to be, and express some of his concerns with divine justice, and the appropriate punishments for the crimes committed. While reading this epic piece it spoke in many ways, and it addresses similar issues that are still prevalent in current culture. This religious allegory seems to focus on punishments, and how it should equal up to the wrong that was done. It brings to mind the rule of Contrapasso. According to John Kameen, Contrapasso isRead MoreThe Death Pe nalty And Wrongful Convictions980 Words   |  4 Pagesages. An issue often brought up when discussing the legality of capital punishment is wrongful convictions. Advocates of the death penalty say that, while wrongful convictions are an issue, those few cases do not outweigh the need for lawful execution of felons who are, without a doubt, guilty. On the other hand, the opponents argue that the death penalty is wrong from both a legal and moral standpoint, an ineffective form of punishment, and should, ultimately, be outlawed. With both advocates andRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is Justified1143 Words   |  5 PagesObjective paper on the death penalty Capital punishment is legally authorized killing as punishment for a crime. The death penalty questions the morality of killing a person as justification for their crime. It also brings to question whether the death penalty actually serves as a deterrent for crime, and that some of the people executed are found innocent afterwards. The debates over the constitutionality of the death penalty and whether capital punishment should be used for retribution are alsoRead More Capital Punishment Essay1241 Words   |  5 PagesIndependence, the Supreme Court legalized capital punishment (Appendix 1). Capital punishment executed for the crime of theft. Since then there have been an estimated 18,000 to 20,000 people lawfully executed(Espy pp.194). In the eighteenth century, England would punish by death for crimes such as pick pocketing and petty theft. After the 1650s colonist could be put to death for denying the true god or cursing their parents advocates. Capital punishment has clashed for a long time in the forumRead More Capital Punishment Is Not Only Unusual, But Cruel Essay989 Words   |  4 Pages Capital Punishment is Not Only Unusual, But Cruel nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The most widely known aspect of the eighth amendment is the fact that it prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. Cruel and unusual punishment is perceived as punishment that causes â€Å"an unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain† (Bailey). Is capital punishment cruel and unusual? It is one of the most controversial topics in America today. In effect since the 1600s, the US Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty wasRead MoreRole of Capital Punishment in Modern Criminal Punishment Essay examples976 Words   |  4 PagesRole of Capital Punishment in Modern Criminal Punishment Capital punishment has continued to be used as the major punishment for convicted felons for a long time now. However, it has been a subject of controversy in recent years and has been seen as an inhuman mode of punishment in the modern era. This is because of the various legal challenges it faces and the methods used in executing the punishment, which include the use of a firing squad, lethal injections and the electric chair among othersRead MoreShould Death Penalty Be Utilized? Essay667 Words   |  3 PagesIntroduction One of the most controversial topics to date is the argument surrounding whether or not the death penalty should be utilized. When majority of the people, think about problems surrounding capital punishment, they automatically jump right to it being legal or illegal. When in reality the problems are so much larger. Theyre issues involved with Capital Punishment, including racism, sexism and financial status to name a few, when it comes to who is being put to death. Recently, one ofRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is It Just Or Unjust?1387 Words   |  6 PagesUnited States today is the death penalty. Is it just or unjust? Does is deter murders and crimes? Are there proper rules for it, and a fair system to decide who gets the death penalty? The death penalty is â€Å"the punishment of execution, administered to someone legally convicted of a capital crime.† Today it is mostly used for murder cases, however, depending on the state it can also be used for treason, aggressive kidnappi ng, drug trafficking, aircraft hijacking, espionage, and aggressive assault by