Ronald F' White, Ph'D'

1
Capital Punishment

• Ronald F. White, Ph.D.
• Professor of Philosophy
• College of Mount St. Joseph

2
Introduction

• History of Punishment
• Middle Ages- Corporeal Punishment
• Executioner
• Degrees of pain
• Enlightenment- Rise of the Prison
• Deprivation of Liberty
• Work as Rehabilitation
• U.S. History
• Furman v. Georgia (1972)
• Gregg v. Georgia (1976)
• Today
• More than half of the countries in the world ban
  it.
• Legal in all but 12 states
• 85 executions in U.S. in 2000

3
Teleological Theories

• Teleological (Forward Looking)
• Rehabilitation
• Deterrence
• Individuals
• Other Individuals
• Wrongful Conviction
• Problems

4
Deontological Theories

• Deontological (Backward Looking)
• Justice in Retribution (Aristotle, Kant)
• Proportionality
• Feelings of retribution
• Cruel and Unusual Punishment
• Dignity of Persons

5
Public Policy Issues

• How to do it?
• Hanging
• Firing squad
• Electric chair
• Lethal injection
• Prison as Retribution
• Living conditions
• education
• Prison as Rehabilitation
• Spectacle
• Judicial Errors
• International Condemnation

6
Small Group Discussion Questions

• Is capital punishment ever morally justified?
  What are the strongest arguments for and against?
  
• If it is justified, what crimes warrant
  execution murder, rape, torture, treason
• Should children ever be executed?
• How should capital punishment be administered
  lethal injection, electric chair, hanging, firing
  squad ?
• Should executions be televised?
• Is life in prison a viable alternative?