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Capital punishment, however, does reflect the retributive perspective and is the most obvious modern manifestation of Hammurabi's code. Even so, the moral righteousness of capital punishment is questionable for several reasons. First, capital punishment is illogical and hypocritical. If killing another human being is wrong, and if the state kills human beings, then the state is committing a wrongful act. Second, capital punishment can be considered cruel and unusual. Third, capital punishment precludes the state from promoting positive moral values in favor of a perceived increase in public safety. Whether public safety is increased by the use of capital punishment is also questionable. For the most part, capital punishment is used "solely for symbolic purposes," (Turow, cited by Stern, 2003). Capital punishment is the epitome of revenge-based, retributive justice. It would seem that even if revenge were morally just, that the state would have no justifiable role in exacting revenge.
Morally gray areas of punishment include maximum security prisons and the procedures used to control and monitor inmates. The basic conflict is between the rights of the individual offender and the rights of the victim. Justice system professionals, policy makers, and citizens face ethical conundrums when contemplating the ideal balance. What role the state should have in terms of surveillance of convicted sex offenders may also pose problems for policy makers and justice system officials. Moreover, punishment...
A "tough on crime" fervor that swept through the United States during the 1980s and which still persists has had a profound impact on many American citizens. Three strikes laws and strident drugs laws are a few examples of when "tough on crime" can be an ethically questionable justice policy.
The moral dimensions of punishment draw heavily on prevailing social and ethical values. A society with strong social cohesion will rely less on punishment and more on a system of "informal sanctions" that moderate anti-social behavior (Townsend, 2005). Punishment can serve as a cop-out, a convenient means of brushing social problems under a carpet. Income disparity, a lack of social services, and a breakdown in community cohesion in the United States may all be precursors to the type of anti-social behavior that sometimes leads to criminal behavior. Confining offenders to what Foucault referred to as a panopticon may have unintended consequences for the moral health of the whole society.
References
Primorac, I. (nd). Is Retributivism Analytic? The Royal Institute of Philosophy. Retrieved June 17, 2007 at http://www.royalinstitutephilosophy.org/articles/article.php?id=20
Stern, S. (2003). Discussing the morality of capital punishment. Christian Science Monitor. 12 Nov 2003. Retrieved June 17, 2007 at http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/1112/p16s01-usju.html
Townsend, C. (2005). The morality of punishment. Cambridge Papers. 31 May 2005. Retrieved June 17, 2007 at http://www.leaderu.com/humanities/moralityofpunishment.html
The concept of moral disobedience occupies a vital place in the discourse of ethical philosophy and civic action. This form of disobedience is an act of noncompliance with laws, directives, or societal norms predicated on individual or collective moral principles that are in stark conflict with such edicts or customs. Moral disobedience is rooted in the notion that obedience to authority is not an absolute imperative, especially when such obedience
Ethics and Decision-Making in Public SafetyIntroductionEthical decision-making is a critical aspect of personal and professional life, influencing actions and their subsequent consequences on individuals, organizations, and society at large. It involves the interplay of cognitive processes, personal values, ethical frameworks, and situational factors, all of which contribute to the determination of what is right and wrong. However, the absence of these considerations can lead to amoral decision-making, where decisions are
IX. REPORT of the UN STUDY on VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN The United Nations Secretary-General's Study on Violence Against Children states twelve specific recommendations as having arisen from their study on violence against children which include the following recommendations: 1) Strengthen national and local commitment and action: This refers to establishing a national focal point on violence against children by the end of 2007, to coordinate actions, and especially to ensure that actions
While of course I sympathized with Sonya, I was also very frustrated by the way that she let herself be a 'doormat' for her family on many occasions. Instead of standing up for herself, the book seemed to validate her passivity, and also suggested that Raskolnikov emulate it in his own behavior. While of course murder is never justified, the novel seemed to suggest no middle ground between denying
Corporal punishment, often referred to as physical punishment, is a contentious method of discipline that involves inflicting pain as a punitive measure to correct or control behavior. Although the use of corporal punishment has declined over the years, it remains a globally debated topic due to ethical, cultural, and psychological considerations (Gershoff, 2010). Historically, corporal punishment was a widely accepted and common practice used to discipline children in homes and schools.
83). Let us go through these arguments. The first argument does not suggest that a person involved in business should disregard any ethical obligations. One can economically survive in business without violating the norms of morality. Moreover, as Beverluis argues, "we are in a real sense 'doing' business ethics. For what is a 'right'? If one puts forward the claim to have certain moral rights (as opposed to legal rights),