Abstract
In this article, the writer examines the issue of capital punishment, looking at the arguments on both sides and concluding that capital punishment is the right thing to do. The writer lists both pro and con arguments, defeating the con arguments.

From the Paper
"Capital punishment is one of the most controversial topics in today's world. A practice that dates back to ancient times it has come under scrutiny in recent years for a variety of reasons. The arguments on both sides of the issue are heated and compelling. Those in favor of capital punishment say that it deters crime reduces murder rates prevents the murderer from ever killing again and brings justice for those who were murdered. Those against it argue that it is applied unfairly ..."

Tags:capital punishment, pro, racism, crime, Christian, death penalty, justice, execution

Abstract
This paper explores and presents numerous issues associated with capital punishment. First, the writer details which countries still use this method of punishment and for what crimes. The paper further discusses methods of execution in the US, which states use the death penalty, and how race affects sentencing. The author also explores the various philosophical moral views of this issue, presenting both sides of the issue.

From the Paper
"There were many methods of execution in the United States and the early colonies from 1608 to 2004 (Wikipedia 2006). Electrocution took the place of hangings and the gas chamber, burning, pressing, gibbeting or hanging in chains, breaking on wheel and bludgeoning. The current method is lethal injection, which is used or allowed in 37 or 38 States where the death penalty is recognized and in the federal government. From 1976 to 2006, 861 out of 1,026 executions have been by lethal injection, 152 by electrocution, 11 by gas chamber, 3 by hanging and 2 by firing squad. The malfunctioning and the cruelty of the electric chair led to the opting of lethal injection as a major method of execution. Whatever the method chosen, an hour or two before the execution, the convict is offered a last meal and religious services. Executions are performed in private with only invited individuals to witness the proceedings. The last to be publicly executed was Rainey Bethea on August 14, 1936 in Owensboro, Kentucky (Wikipedia)."

Tags:capital, punishment, racism, death, penalty, execution

Abstract
This paper looks at the death penalty and concludes that an ethical society takes great risks to its reputation if it has capital punishment as public policy. It also refers to the moral precepts of Socrates.

From the Paper
This research examines the use of capital punishment from an ethical perspective It will set forth the pros and cons of capital punishment as a matter of public policy and then discuss the ethical issue fronts that emerge when the subject emerges in ..."

Tags:Capital Punishment

death penalty, Socrates

ethics

government

justice

fairness

racism

deterrence theory

Plato

Rawls

Abstract
This paper argues that capital punishment has no place in a supposedly civilized and industrialized nation such as the United States. According to the paper, the death penalty has done little to curb crime and has never been implemented fairly in the United States. Therefore, capital punishment should be repealed in favor of alternative forms such as life imprisonment without parole.

Outline:
Why the Death Penalty?
Philosophies of Justice
Deterrence and Racism in the Death Penalty
Cruel and Unusual

From the Paper
"Study after study, however, has shown no correlation between the availability of a death penalty and crime. A study by the Death Penalty Information Center shows that United States, which retains the death penalty, has a murder rate that is more than three times that of many of its European allies that have banned capital punishment (DPIC homepage). Many factors could account for the much lower murder rate in Europe, such as stronger familial ties and much more stringent gun control laws. Capital punishment, however, is not one of these reasons."
"Furthermore, it is a fact that capital punishment could not be fairly administered throughout the country. From state to state, variables such as race, class and even gender continue to influence sentencing in capital cases. In addition, the imposition of capital punishment is subject to extra-legal influences. Statistics show that the imposition of the death penalty is "infected by prejudice and discrimination." Part of the reason is socio-economic, as researchers show how people who are poor are more likely to be represented by public defenders, while many Caucasian defendants can afford expensive defense teams (Johnson and Johnson 519)."

Tags:philosophies, of, justice, moral, legal

Abstract
Philosophical discussion of the death-penalty. History of state-sanctioned death penalty for certain crimes. Ethical, religious and philosophical thought regarding capital punishment. Views for and against. Civil and moral legislation. State theory of various Western philosophers. Controversy surrounding the death penalty in the U.S. Racism. Whether capital punishment acts as a deterrent against crime.

From the Paper
"This research examines the subject of capital punishment from a philosophical perspective. The research will set forth the historical context in which death-penalty philosophy emerged as a significant issue of social and civic discourse and then discuss prevailing philosophical and religious views of capital punishment, both for and against, with particular emphasis on philosophical views. Whether capital punishment acts a deterrent for the commission of crimes in general will also be discussed.


Introduction
The practice of capital punishment, or a state-sanctioned death penalty for certain crimes, appears to be as ancient as history. The Code of Hammurabi, discovered only in AD 1902 but estimated to have been promulgated between 2100 and 1700 BC, was the first systematic attempt to foster disinterested, impartial..."

Abstract
The paper provides a brief examination of the history of the death penalty in the United States and then offers an analysis of the states that practice this punishment, with statistics concerning the rate of execution, race, sex and other details. Taking these facts into consideration, the paper considers the use of the death penalty, support and opposition for this, and the religious, political and ethical motivations for supporting the death penalty. The paper concludes with a summary of the main arguments for the death penalty that involve the issues of religion, morality, deterrence and justice.

Outline:
Introduction
A History of the Death Penalty in the United States
States Who Have the Death Penalty, States who Don't
Results So Far
Application of the Death Penalty
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Capital Punishment is one of the most controversial areas of modern American society. Opponents and supporters of the death penalty are both very passionate about the subject; accusations of racism and cruelty from one side are met with accusations of bleeding hearts and lack of concern for the victims of crime. However, this debate mostly occurs over the heads of ordinary Americans, who in poll after poll, reveal that they support the death penalty for those convicted of a capital crime. (Clark Prosecutor, Opinion Polls, 2006). The question of legality, morality, and cruelty still dogs the application of the death sentence to this day. In previous centuries, capital punishment was the norm in all countries, and certain acts which would not be punishable now were capital: the witch trials in Northern Europe, for example, resulted in the executions of many women, mostly by hanging."

Tags:religion, deterrence, justice, racism, cruelty, death, row

From the Paper
"The issue of capital punishment has been debated from a number of perspectives. One of the most recent assaults on the death penalty has come from those who believe that the punishment has not been applied equally and that there is a racial component in the way some offenders are treated by the system. To date, this concept has not prevailed with the U.S. Supreme Court, and the major case that reached the Supreme Court based on this theory failed to persuade the Justices. Death penalty opponents have cited a variety of statistics as to reasons why the death penalty is racially discriminatory, raising the issue in court and before the legislature in an attempt to change the system or do away with the death penalty altogether, so far without success.


The statistics show that black murderers are far more likely..."

Abstract
The paper considers the arguments of those in favor of capital punishment, namely the issues of deterrence, cost and public safety and explains why these arguments are not convincing in today's environment. The paper looks at the Christian ways of addressing capital punishment by examining the Bible and the Vatican's beliefs that are mainly against the use of death. The paper discusses the arguments against the death penalty and relates that after considering these arguments and statistics, he believes that the death penalty in no way helps humanity but, on the contrary, destroys it.

From the Paper
"Capital Punishment or death sentence is the execution of a convicted criminal by the state as a punishment for his/her crimes. The earliest established death penalty laws date back to eighteenth century B.C in the Code of Hammurabi, which ordered death for 25 different crimes. Also, death sentences in earlier days were carried out by such means as crucifixion, drowning, beating to death, burning alive, impalement, boiling, hanging and beheading. Today the society, in which we live, has come a long way due to our experiences over the years and we today view the means and ways of death penalty during our ancestor's time as cruel, barbaric and nonsensical."

Tags:death, row, deterrence, death, penalty, racism

Abstract
This paper provides a discussion of Immanuel Kant's moral philosophy as it relates to his purely retributive view of capital punishment. The discussion argues that Kant's eye-for-an-eye view of capital punishment for murderers seems to undermine his primary principle that it is always wrong to use another individual as a means for an end.

From the Paper
"To determine if Immanuel Kant's purely retributive view of capital punishment is consistent with his view of regarding persons as ends in themselves, a discussion of Kant's moral philosophy must be provided. Moral law is formulated by Kant as based upon the categorical imperative. (Solomon and Higgins) This represents a singular command that applies across the entire range of human behavior. The categorical imperative, according to the best-known formulation, asserts that one should only act on a maxim that one can will to be universal..."

Tags:justice, equality, proportionality, revenge, equality, morality, guilt, death penalty, racism, DNA testing, life imprisonment, Albert Camus

Abstract
The paper discusses the complex ethical, judicial, social, economic, racial and political issues that capital punishment raises. The paper discusses the perspectives of opponents and supporters of the death penalty and offers the opinion that the societal advantages of the death penalty far outweigh the disadvantages.

From the Paper
"Despite the frequent use of the death penalty throughout most of American history, it continues to be a controversial issue in the United States. Americans continue to debate whether capital punishment is morally acceptable, whether taking a convicted criminal's life is an effective means of deterring other criminals from committing violent crimes, and whether capital punishment is applied fairly, regardless of social, economic, or racial factors. (Kurtis 188) Ultimately, because of the conservative majority on the Supreme Court, the death penalty is likely to be imposed in appropriate cases by America's criminal justice system for the foreseeable future."

Tags:executions, lethal, injection, punishment, morals, racism, imprisonment