Death penalty

Ethics of the Death Penalty

Off with their heads

The death penalty is another fundamental life and death issue, like abortion and euthanasia. Support for the death penalty also tends to break on which side of the quality of life versus quantity of life debate you fall on, though it is the Quality of Life side that typically opposes the death penalty, despite the "Pro-Life" protestations of the Quantity side.

And why are those who are so eager to get abortions and euthanize the elderly so reluctant to enact the death penalty on violent criminals? Don't they like offing the inconvenient?

Utilitarian ethics necessitates that we prioritize the desires of the living over those of the unborn or the "dying and would prefer to get on with it". The death penalty, being the ultimate deprivation of liberty that can be inflicted, one that precludes any hope of retribution, and is more likely to cause further trauma on the families of victim and perpetrator alike than to provide any sense of closure, will not contribute positively to the happiness of a society.

In summary, the death penalty doesn't make life any happier for anyone so we shouldn't do it.

Pro-Life (for the In-Group)

The Catholic Church takes a consistently "pro-life" stance and opposes the death penalty as well as other core life and death issues like abortion and euthanasia. However, American Evangelicals largely support it. Perhaps it's because the Catholic Church is centered in Europe, where the death penalty has been outlawed by every country for years. Or perhaps the global nature of the Catholic movement makes it less likely to exclude people from their in-group.

The Quantity of Life point of view is consistently applied within the perceived in-group. For many, commission of a capital crime excludes a person from the in-group, so the taboo against murdering them is removed. The same justification is also made for war.

Anyone who believes in the universal in-group should oppose the death penalty regardless of their Quality of life versus quantity of life stance.

Dubious History of the Death Penalty

With its long history of racism and potential for killing the innocent, supporting the death penalty is bad criminal justice policy regardless of its ethics.

Death Metal

Ride the Lightning.