Kant and Mills on Capital Punishment Essay - 1609 Words

Kant and Mills on Capital Punishment Capital punishment has raised debate in America since 1608. Both the â€Å"pro-â€Å" and â€Å"anti-â€Å" sides of the issue have strong arguments. Some believe killing is simply wrong, and violates universal human rights, others seek the only justice they deem appropriate, equal justice. I will examine the philosophies of Immanuel Kant, and John Stuart Mill, with regards to their stance on the death penalty. John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806- 8 May 1873) was born in London, England. He was a renowned philosopher best known for his interpretation of utilitarianism, an ethical theory developed by Jeremy Bentham. Utilitarianism is based on the concept that an actions morality should be judged solely upon its resulting†¦show more content†¦Mill focuses more on the second of the two as the most effective justification of the death penalty. Mill states in his address â€Å"There is not, I should think, any human infliction which makes an impression on the imagination so entirely out of proportion to its real severity as the punishment of death.† Crime in itself causes suffering, to reduce crime by creating a fear of penalty is a utilitarian practice. Mills judges the balance of suffering for the offender too; interestingly he deems death as a favorable alternative to life in prison. Regarding the criminal he says, â€Å"the most that human laws can do to anyone in the matter of death is to hasten it; the man would have died at any rate; not so very much later, and on the average, I fear, with a considerably greater amount of bodily suffering.† Although determining his stance on the matter today you must take into consideration the fact that prisons in the mid-1800 were far less accomodable then they are presently. This brings me to another point, in today’s society prisons are comparably luxurious, prisoners enjoy televisions, three meals daily, libraries, education, and recreational equipment, these expenses are all funded by the greater portion of society, the tax payers. According to the North Carolinas department of corrections website it costs just overShow MoreRelatedTwo Views of Capital Punishment Essay1283 Words   |  6 PagesCapital punishment has been a debatable subject for decades. Human thinking often ignores the equal-value relationship when it comes to the taking of life. Attention shifts from the victim’s life to that of the murderer. Immanuel Kant believes that moral laws apply equally, and if someone breaks the law, we should make sure that the law applies to everyone. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be such thing as morality. And without morality, life is meaningless. We should be morally strong and be able to killRead MoreEssay about Kant and Mill’s Positions on Capital Punishment1847 Words   |  8 PagesCapital punishment is most commonly known as the death penalty or punishment by death for a crime. It is a highly controversial topic and many people and great thinkers alike have debated about it. Two well-known figures are Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill. Although both stand in favor of capital punishment, their reasons for coming to this conclusion are completely different. I personally stand against capital punishment, but my own personal view on it incorporates a few mixed elements from bothRead MoreThe Dilemma Of The Death Penalty1703 Words   |  7 PagesUtilitarianism 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. 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Utilitarianism has been clarified by Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806-1873). Bentham proposed that actions are based upon the consequences (Moreland, 2009), and ongoing work on his theory will help in providing grounds for legal actions. His ideas regarding every human keeping his interests above the interests of others, were further worked by Mill (Sweet, n.d). Utilitarianism tries to improve the moral state of the world for as many people as possibleRead MoreEthics Is The Branch Of Study De aling With Social Principles3917 Words   |  16 Pagesdescribe and to defend utilitarianism. Comparing utilitarianism to intuition, egoism, Kant ethics, and other theories so far, I have no doubt utilitarianism is the best moral theory. My concern in this assignment will be defending utilitarianism and exposing the criticism against common oppositions to it expansion. In addition, I will address and connect utilitarianism to the ethical issue of legal punishment for analysis. 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