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Capital punishment — the state-sanctioned execution of a person as punishment for a crime — has been practised throughout human history and remains one of the most divisive ethical issues in contemporary moral and political philosophy. This lesson examines the major ethical arguments for and against the death penalty, the religious perspectives (with particular attention to Old and New Testament teachings), the philosophical theories of punishment, and the movement toward abolition.
Any discussion of capital punishment must be grounded in an understanding of the broader purposes of punishment. Three main theories dominate the debate:
Retributive theories hold that punishment is justified because the offender deserves it. Punishment is a matter of justice, not social utility. The severity of the punishment should be proportionate to the severity of the crime. The most extreme form of retribution is the principle of lex talionis — "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" (Exodus 21:24) — which demands that the punishment mirror the crime.
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