The Dilemma Of The Death Penalty - 1703 Words

There are many ethical issues that beset our society in this day and age. This paper will discuss the ethological dilemma of the death penalty in the philosophical outlooks of Utilitarianism and Deontology, present arguments in light of both, and proceed to show why Deontology offers the best insights into the justification for the death penalty. The death penalty, also known as â€Å"capital punishment†, is, â€Å"the sentence of execution for murder and some other capital crimes (serious crimes, especially murder, which are punishable by death).† (Death Penalty Law, Law And Legal Definition). The death penalty has existed in America since colonial times; however, attempts to abolish or downsize the death penalty have also been around since the†¦show more content†¦By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain, and the privation of pleasure† (Mill 229). In Utilitarianism, a person can be seen as a noble character if they were to sacrifice themselves for others resulting in the greatest possible happiness. Happiness is the only thing desired. Happiness is what all humans aim for as an end result. When applying Utilitarianism to the ethical issue of the death penalty, the answer is never that people should be killed for punishment of a crime, but rather that it sh ould be done to stop further crime. Hypotheticals are made to argue against the death penalty by saying that the person killed could go on to do something great for society. By that same logic, the person could go on to kill hundreds of people. The death penalty is the right of passage to the afterlife from the repercussions of committing a capital punishment, but can the justification of the taking of human life be defined by a Utilitarian approach? A number of people would say that it depends on what a person has done. Others would say that it is never okay to take a human’s life. A Utilitarian would believe that the taking of a life would be justifiable if the outcome increased society’s happiness better than any other possible outcome andShow MoreRelatedDeath Penalty : An Ethical Dilemma1184 Words   |  5 Pages Death Penalty: An Ethical Dilemma Philosophy branch which streamlines, protects and guides the concepts of being correct or incorrect is referred as Ethics. People learn this concept from their parents who got it from their parents and it is a chain. However philosophers claim that it is people’s belief which decide ethics along with human intuition. An individual at singular level conscientiously decides what is right and wrong and define a limit of pushing ethical behaviour and moralityRead MoreThe Ethical Dilemma Of The Death Penalty1814 Words   |  8 PagesThe Ethical Dilemma of the Death Penalty as Viewed From a Utilitarianist and a Deontologist Viewpoint There are many ethical issues that beset our society in this day and age. This paper will discuss the ethological dilemma of the death penalty from the perspective of the philosophical outlooks of Utilitarianism and Deontology, present arguments in light of both, and proceed to show why Deontology offers the best insights into the justification for the death penalty. The death penalty, also knownRead MoreCapital Punishment : An Unnecessary Practice1630 Words   |  7 Pagesthe practice of the death penalty being ancient, capitals crimes have changed over time. Throughout the eras, the abolitionist movement against the capital punishment has been present, presenting arguments about the constitutionality and morality flaws of the death penalty. Indeed, in 1972, the Supreme Court abolished the capital punishment due to inconsistency with the Constitution; nevertheless, the Court authorized it again in 1976, demonstrating how confrontational this dilemma has been (Williams)Read MoreBlack Man Who Was Suspected As The Killer Of A White Off Duty Police Officer Essay1726 Words   |  7 Pagespressured or threatened by the police at the time (Bedau). Troy Davis have come close to execution three times previous to his death because of the doubts that linger of his innocence (Bedau). However, after passage of a federal law in 1996, it became significantly harder for petitioners to get a hearing from judges because they have limited the amount of times they can appeal death sentence (Bedau). When Troy Davis did get a hearing, the judge required Troy to have a â€Å"proof of innocence† – an impossiblyRead MorePublic Policy Issues in Texas831 Words   |  3 Pageslaw-abiding citizens. However, according to Koh (2013), Texas is currently facing one such dilemma. According to Koh, prison reforms may result in better conditions for inmates, but those improvements come at the expense of welfare cash assistance and other government relief for the needy, according to a study released this month by Rice University and Louisiana State University. (Koh, p. 1) This highlights the dilemma of public policy orientation under the thumb of budgetary limits and demonstratesRead MoreCapital Punishment : The Death Penalty1212 Words   |  5 PagesMoney, Complications, Delays, and Innocents: Controversy Against the Death Penalty The government has sanctioned the practice of the death penalty to those who are believed to be deserving of such serious retribution. Capital punishment manages to maintain a large amount of public support; however, it has recently received the label of a dying practice. The decline of executions can be traced back to the high price, complicated procedures, and ongoing trials placed on these cases because of theRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is Justified1491 Words   |  6 Pagestaking place. One prime example is murder. Though people commit murder and acknowledge that the penalty for such act is life in prison, which still doesn’t deter humans from undertaking the act. Death penalty could be a solution to stop humans from committing such gruesome acts. Therefore I strongly believe that the death penalty is acceptable in several cases. Thurgood Marshall states that the death penalty is unconstitutional for two reasons, one that it is excessive. He believes that if the AmericanRead MoreIs The Death Penalty Immoral?1622 Words   |  7 PagesIs the death penalty immoral? In the United States, if a human being commits a capital crime, they can receive the punishment of execution administered by that state in which they performed that crime. When someone commits a capital crime, the jury can issue a guilty verdict that is punishable by death through lethal injection or electrocution. The death penalty is viewed as an extremely controversial topic that is debated daily among individuals. Determining fair punishment for committing a crimeRead MoreThe Case Of Kennedy V. Louisiana976 Words   |  4 Pagesneighborhood. He was convicted sentenced to death 2003. On March 2nd 1988 the victim sustained severe injuries; the injuries required emergency surgery because the rape was so brutal. Louisiana law authorized capital p unishment for the rape of a child twelve years and younger. Mr. Patrick Kennedy challenged his sentence under the eighteen amendments as cruel and unusual punishment. The Louisiana Supreme Court declined the challenged that the death penalty was not too harsh for such a wicked crimeRead MoreThe Punishment Permutation in the Philippines809 Words   |  3 PagesThere is no other way to put into words the dilemma that death penalty poses to the consciousness of individuals than J.R.R. Tolkien’s statement in The Fellowship of the Ring, in which he wrote, â€Å"Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them?† This predicament can be pointed out as one of the reasons why death penalty has been suspended and reestablished as the years go by in the Philippines. In the past, death penalty has been implemented during the times of