The Ethical Dilemma Of The Death Penalty - 1814 Words

Chapman Evans Dr. Jarrod Brown Law, Morality, and Philosophy 9.22.17 The 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 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†¦show more content†¦Using this definition, Mill’s version of Utilitarianism would only agree with the death penalty IF the death of the criminal maximized the happiness of that specific society. A Utilitarian is one who believes that an action is morally right or wrong based on the effect it has on a society’s happiness. If the end result causes a decrease in society’s overall happiness, then the action would be deemed morally wrong. The opposite is true as well; individual actions that proceed to increase the overall happiness of a society are pronounced as morally just and are highly desired. This viewpoint characterizes an individual as notable, if and only if their personal sacrifice for others results in the greatest possible happiness for the society at large. In Utilitarianism, happiness is the only thing desired and is what all humans aim for as an end result. When applying Utilitarianism to the ethical dilemma that is the death penalty, the answer is never that people should be killed for punishment of a crime, but rather that it should be done to stop further crime. Hypotheticals are made to argue against the death penalty, 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 rite of passage to the afterlife from the repercussions ofShow 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 Dilemma Of The Death Penalty1703 Words   |  7 PagesThere 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, especiallyRead MoreAn Alternative Legislative Proposal to the Current Death Penalty Laws in Georgia765 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿ An Alternative Legislative Proposal to the Current Death Penalty Laws in Georgia The death penalty should be abolished in Georgia and life imprisonment without the possibility of parole should be the maximum penalty for the worst murder convictions in the state from now on. There are several good reasons for this, both moral and ethical, as well as practical reasons of budgetary considerations. 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