Research Paper on "History of Capital Punishment"
Research Paper 4 pages (1459 words) Sources: 5
[EXCERPT] . . . .
History Of Capital PunishmentBackground of Capital Punishment in the United States and Europe
Capital punishment in the United States originated and was based primarily upon British common law. Both America's and Europe's systems utilized personal retribution as the main rationale for using capital punishment ("America's Tug of War over Sanctioned Death," 2009). In fact, they even went a step further: torture was used for hundreds of years as the means of capital punishment. Torture involved several different kinds of killing and was so gruesome that people referred to the laws allowing it as the "Bloody Code" (Levinson, 2002). Common types of torture included stripping of the skin, impaling a body on a stake, chopping off one's hands and feet, boiling the body alive in oil, and burning at the stake ("America's Tug of War over Sanctioned Death," 2009).
In 1764, Italian Cesare Beccaria wrote on Crimes and Punishments and in it, he argued for abandoning the system of maximum terror and torture. Instead, he introduced the idea of making the punishment for a crime proportionate the crime that was committed. This idea was taken seriously and systems of punishment began to include taking away one's freedom or, in other words, incarceration and adding the concept of rehabilitation of the offender to the goal of the criminal justice system (Banks 2005). In 1791, the United States upon becoming a union passed the Bill of Rights which included the Eighth Amendment which banned "cruel and unusual punishment" in the Eighth Amendment. Interestingly, at that time in history, hanging was not seen as cruel or unusual punishment (Banner, 2002). In the 1800's, more and
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Arguments in Support of Capital Punishment
Proponents of capital punishment state believe that it provides a deterrent to crime, retribution for heinous crimes, and a cost-effective alternative to housing depraved convicted felons for his or her entire life (Wilson, 2009). As a deterrent, Ernest Van Den Haag, PhD of Fordham University noted that: "People fear nothing more than death. Therefore, nothing will deter a criminal more than the fear of death" (Haag, 1983). Furthermore, with regard to retribution, it is noted that a society is "justly ordered" when people and criminals receive what is due to him or to her. By giving criminals punishments, society protects itself from disorder by morally restoring order by making the perpetrator pay a price that is in accordance with the actual harm that he or she has caused (Budziszewksi, 2004). Additionally, one of the top arguments by proponents in favor of capital punishment is economic in nature: it will cost much less money over the long-term to execute an individual as opposed to keep them in prison for life (Wilson, 2009).
Arguments Against Capital Punishment
The most salient arguments utilized by the opponents of the death penalty include a focus on the inequity, fundamental unfairness, or immorality of it as a modern-day practice. For instance, arguments against the death penalty assert that it is immoral, it violates the constitution, its finality makes it an irrevocable option, and that it does not actually deter individuals from committing violent crimes such as murder and rape. With regard to immorality, many individuals believe that… READ MORE
Quoted Instructions for "History of Capital Punishment" Assignment:
First, let me say that the source materials should be quoted verbatim. For example:
*****"As John XYZ says, *****"....................*****" (XYZ, John, book xyz, page 123.)
This research paper is about capital punishment, and about the *****"Vedic*****" (or Hindu) perspective on it. HOWEVER, I will take care of the Vedic perspective. What I need, however, is the American/Western point of view on the issue:
1/ Brief history of capital punishment in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the United States. Some statistics would be good, if not too difficult to obtain.
3/ The common arguments in defense of Capital punishment.
This is philosophical/ethical.
.
4/ The common arguments in opposition to Capital punishment.
This is also philosophical/ethical.
5/ A case study of the most famous/one of the most famous cases of capital punishment in U.S history. A summary is good.
Below is my instructor*****'s guidelines for the paper:
1. Identify a criminal justice topic/issue that has ethical implications. It can be current or historical. Be specific when describing the issue.
2. Analyze the topic, researching its origin, history, impact on people and/or society, and the criminal justice justification.
3. Present the justifications for how/why the criminal justice system has dealt with your topic.
4. Draw a conclusion regarding whether or not you believe the criminal justice system has handled the issue in an ethical way. Why or why not?
I will take care of the second half of the paper, namely the reincarnation/Vedic issue.
Thank you.
How to Reference "History of Capital Punishment" Research Paper in a Bibliography
“History of Capital Punishment.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2010, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/history-capital-punishment-background/359985. Accessed 5 Oct 2024.
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