Morality Of The Death Penalty

Running head: MORALITY OF THE DEATH PENALTY 1

Morality of the Death Penalty

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MORALITY OF THE DEATH PENALTY 2

Morality of the Death Penalty

In the contemporary world, perceptions of the moral stance of the death penalty are

profoundly diverse. Considering that morality differentiates right and wrong, it has been

challenging to conclude whether the punishment of offenders through the death penalty is

justified or not. However, after a close examination of its application and impacts, while

referring to the deductions of normative ethical relativism and moral realism, it is correct

deducing that the death penalty is morally permissible.

Morality means that one has to distinguish between right and wrong acts. Some crimes

are heinous in the sense that they affect masses adversely or claim people’s lives. A perfect

example is terrorist acts. When the death penalty applies to the crimes of high magnitude, it

serves the offenders right since they appear to be an unwanted and dangerous part of society. As

a result, it correctly acts as the best retribution process which is equal to the crime that the

offender commits. Despite some arguments that it violates the right to life, it is morally wrong to

think that people who do not respect others’ lives deserve it in any way. Overall, it promotes

fairness.

Death penalty promotes deterrence and reform. Regarding deterrence, the method

protects the innocent from harm. Doing so gives the procedure its forward-looking purpose and

shows that the punishment approach is not there to punish but to deter offenders from engaging

in heinous acts. Since morality is concerned primarily with the rightness of an action, it is right

to use a correctional approach that guarantees the safety of the majority. As the offenders see

what happens to others, they reform and continue promoting a better community morally.

MORALITY OF THE DEATH PENALTY 3

Different ethical approaches can also apply to this case and justify the moral position of

the penalty. One of the leading theories is normative ethical relativism. According to MacKinnon

and Fiala (2016), this theory follows the premise that no valid moral principles apply universally.

The entire issue depends on the context and how society uses laws. From the theory’s point of

view, moral uprightness of actions varies across communities. Therefore, the variation in its

perception from one state to another is normal. Situations will be changing since different

cultures apply different values and principles to define morality. As a result, the death penalty is

moral provided that it benefits the majority despite overlooking the right to life.

Moral realism can also apply to the justification of the moral nature of the death penalty.

Moral realism asserts that some moral values and facts are highly objective and independent of

how people perceive issues (MacKinnon & Fiala, 2016). That said, the moral judgment of a

concept involves the application of the moral facts which mostly cannot provide a universally

accepted definition of an idea for it to be right or wrong. It is for this reason that makes capital

punishment morally justified due to its appropriate usefulness.

To a significant extent, views of the death penalty will remain divisive. Since there is no

universal view of what is right or wrong, its support will depend on how a state applies its

fundamental values and principles. So far, it is right to use the death penalty for deterrence and

enhancing reform.

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References

MacKinnon, B., & Fiala, A. (2016). Ethics: Theory and contemporary issues. Cengage Learning.

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