background

• retribution

  • all guilty people deserve to be punished in proportion to the severity of their crime
  • justice requires people to suffer for their wrongdoing
  • often supported by lex talionis

  objections include its vengeance, not retribution making it morally dubious, anticipatory suffering makes it more severe and retribution is just a reaction to an emotion
• rehabilitation

  • capital punishment doesn't rehabilitate and return to society, however the time before execution is used for repentance and spiritual rehabilitiation

  aquinas - rehab before the next life
• deterrence

  • deter potential murderers from killing people
• prevent reoffenders

  • those who are executed cannot commit further crimes
  • cases of those escaping and killing again are extremely rare, but still a danger to prison staff and inmates

  not sufficient enough - other ways like no parole
• closure and vindication

  • death penalty provides closure

  flimsy. every family acts different
• christian perspective


  old testament is all for death penalty, but the context is important. life was hard for the hebrews as they were just freed from slavery and wandered the desert 40 years, society moved frequently and struggled to survive - prison was impossible

  new testament - we are all sinners and dont have the right to pass judgement on one another (let anyone among you who is without sin to be the first to throw a stone at her)