" (Introduction to the Death Penalty) an important decision was taken by the Supreme Court in 1958 which stated that "… the Eighth Amendment contained a & #8230;evolving standard of decency that marked the progress of a maturing society." (Introduction to the Death Penalty) This decision referred to standards of decency and morality in civilized countries which also implies that the death penalty was not socially or morally acceptable. (Introduction to the Death Penalty)
This view was also based on the important morals issue of the right to life. In terms of this ethical stance which emphasized the sacred nature of life there can be little moral justification for the implementation of the capital punishment. There is also another moral dimension that should be considered in this regard. This refers to the view that in a civilized society there should be humane and make use of more sophisticated ways of dealing with extreme crimes -- such as rehabilitation of the criminal through therapy...
This in itself is seen by some as a moral imperative in a civilized and advanced culture.
In
conclusion, while some would claim that there are extreme cases where the death penalty should be implemented, such as
rape and
murder, this view does not coincide with the strict moral and ethical view. From this perspective the taking of life under any circumstances is morally reprehensible. One of the reasons why so many countries decided to reject extreme punishments such as the death penalty is because advances in modern psychological research suggested that rehabilitation is a possible and effective way of dealing with extreme criminals. Therefore, the trend in most countries in recent years has been to deny the moral validity of capital punishment. It is seen as being not only morality indefensible but also counters to the aims and objectives of modern, civilized society.
Bibliography
Bienen, Leigh B. "The Death Penalty in America: Current Controversies." Journal of
Criminal Law and Criminology 89.2 (1999).
Human rights. September 26, 2004.
Introduction to the Death Penalty. 25 September, 2009.
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?scid=15&did=410#IntroductionoftheDeathPenalty
Sharp D. Death penalty and sentencing information in the United States. 1997. 25
September, 2009.
