Capital Punishment Ethical Issues
Sheridan Nelson, S00171136, Jesse Hancock.
Capital punishment is, and always will be a rather complex issue. Mostly because humans are rather complex creatures that have different qualities and attributes that make them unique (Australian Catholic University [ACU], 2015, Section 3.1.2). Therefore, it is difficult to come to one consensus in regard to human dignity. None-the-less, capital punishment is a topic of human dignity that demands acknowledgment and reflection – to ignore the topic would be a violation in human dignity itself. This essay will look at human dignity with in the context of capital punishment, and explain why capital punishment is a critical factor in human dignity. Dignity will be analysed according to David Kirchhoffer’s …show more content…
Conley (2013) leaves no doubt that human dignity cannot be acquired or lost. He does this by arguing that the dehumanising language that is used in capital trials, denies the ‘inherent dignity’ of the defendant. Therefore, implying that human dignity is not dependent on society’s attitudes, or ones’ sense of self-worth, and it cannot be acquired or lost. However, Conley doesn’t specifically talk about inherent dignity in a way that suggests that humans are made in the image of God. Therefore, although he takes a quadrant one approach, he more specifically supports a quadrant 1B approach to human dignity. This is illustrated by Conley describing how the legal system attempts to dehumanise the criminal offender by clouding the jurors’ ability to empathise with the defendant. Therefore, the jury is able justify the sentencing of death upon another human being. Furthermore, he explains that the legal system attempts to block any emotional interaction between the jury and the defendant; because the closer the jury gets to the defendant, the harder it becomes to sentence him/her to death. The former points discussed show an attempt on Conley’s behalf to prove that capacities such as empathy, compassion, and emotion are meticulously taken away from the jurors to make a death sentence
Capital punishment is, and always will be a rather complex issue. Mostly because humans are rather complex creatures that have different qualities and attributes that make them unique (Australian Catholic University [ACU], 2015, Section 3.1.2). Therefore, it is difficult to come to one consensus in regard to human dignity. None-the-less, capital punishment is a topic of human dignity that demands acknowledgment and reflection – to ignore the topic would be a violation in human dignity itself. This essay will look at human dignity with in the context of capital punishment, and explain why capital punishment is a critical factor in human dignity. Dignity will be analysed according to David Kirchhoffer’s …show more content…
Conley (2013) leaves no doubt that human dignity cannot be acquired or lost. He does this by arguing that the dehumanising language that is used in capital trials, denies the ‘inherent dignity’ of the defendant. Therefore, implying that human dignity is not dependent on society’s attitudes, or ones’ sense of self-worth, and it cannot be acquired or lost. However, Conley doesn’t specifically talk about inherent dignity in a way that suggests that humans are made in the image of God. Therefore, although he takes a quadrant one approach, he more specifically supports a quadrant 1B approach to human dignity. This is illustrated by Conley describing how the legal system attempts to dehumanise the criminal offender by clouding the jurors’ ability to empathise with the defendant. Therefore, the jury is able justify the sentencing of death upon another human being. Furthermore, he explains that the legal system attempts to block any emotional interaction between the jury and the defendant; because the closer the jury gets to the defendant, the harder it becomes to sentence him/her to death. The former points discussed show an attempt on Conley’s behalf to prove that capacities such as empathy, compassion, and emotion are meticulously taken away from the jurors to make a death sentence