Argument in Defense of Death Penalty
The ethical dilemma of the death penalty has sparked much controversy amongst the Americans. The death penalty, as a form of capital punishment, is given to those individuals deemed by the government and society as deserving of the infliction of death. The death penalty has ignited a controversial debate amongst many political ideologies, religion, and culture. This paper will asses the ethical issues concerning the death penalty from the views of Jonathan Wolf, as well as modern principles. The questions I seek to explore is quite controversial: Is the death penalty ethical? My answer to this question will be per Jonathan Wolf’s “Readings in Moral Philosophy” and Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative. I intend to prove that capital punishment is indeed, ethical. Immanuel Kant’s categorical seeks to act per the general rule. The general rule applied is hard, and the vast forms of achieving death. He posed the questions of whether capital punishment uses humans as a means to an end. Based on the categorical imperative, societies are obliged to act in such a way that an individual’s action becomes a universal law for all to follow (Kant, 2004). Kent bases his argument that an individual shouldn’t be punished for the sake of benefiting the society since innocent individuals deemed unfit for society can remain innocent of the crimes. Kant argues that Laws that are broken without punishment are flimsy and an indication of a weaker society (Kant, 2004). From the moral point of view, Wolf argues that the problem associated with the death penalty is the burden of proof that everyone on the death row is indeed guilty of the offense punishable by death. He argues that capital punishment is misleading the society. In conclusion, the debate on the ethical nature of the death penalty remains controversial universally.
Works Cited
Kant, I. The Right of Punishing, Retrieved on April 1st, 2004. From: http://w1.155.telia.com/~u15525046/ny_sida_9.htm
Jonathan, Wolff. Readings in Moral philosophy: A text with readings. W. W. Norton & Company, 2017.