Module 11 Assessment
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Dec 6, 2023
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Module 11: Capital Punishment, Chapter 18 Reading Questions (M11A1)
After reading Chapter 18, make sure to review the Review Questions at the end of the chapter.
Please respond to the following items below. Always use complete sentences. Type your
answers under each item and submit this whole document with your responses.
A. Employing the articles at the end of the chapter and moral theories when possible, please
explain as completely as you can at least 5 reasons for thinking that capital punishment is
morally unacceptable and should be abolished. Please number the reasons.
1. It can be argued that this process is inhumane and therefore morally wrong.
2. It is possible that this continues to push racial and economic biases.
3. This form of punishment is irreversible and therefore doesn’t allow for reform which people
could consider morally wrong.
4. Society has a moral obligation to protect human life and capital punishment goes against that
principle.
5. The death penalty violates the right to life which is one of the most basic rights that we have
as humans.
B. Employing the articles at the end of the chapter and moral theories when possible, please
explain as completely as you can at least 5 reasons for holding that capital punishment is a
morally acceptable and should be used. Please number the reasons.
1. This can be permissible as society has an obligation to protect the safety of the citizens.
2. It can be argued that capital punishment is used against heinous crimes, and this guarantees
the reoccurrence of the crime.
3. It can be argued that in cases where a life has been taken that the use of capital punishment
is a form of retribution.
4. It can be argued that having the death penalty as an option can deter criminals from
committing more heinous crimes.
5. The point is brought up that it is more economical than having someone serve life sentences
in jail.
C. Using moral theories when you can, please explain your position on the morality of capital
punishment. Do you think it is morally permissible or not? Why or why not? Explain by giving
reasons for your views. I feel that the use of capital punishment is situational. If the crime is
heinous enough and was done with intent and it is more likely than not that the individual
would commit the crime again if given the opportunity then I agree with the use of capital
punishment but outside of this, I don’t think there are too many other occasions in which I
would agree with the use of it.
D. Read Case 1 ("Redemption and Capital Punishment") in the Ethical Dilemmas section at the
end of the chapter. Respond to the first two questions. Give reasons for your views.
I believe that if Williams had a genuine change of heart and had been using his time in prison
for the betterment of society then it would be justifiable to change his sentence to life in prison
rather than capital punishment.
E. Read Case 3 (“The Morality of Criminal Exonerations”) in the Ethical Dilemmas section at the
end of the chapter. Respond to all of the questions. Give reasons for your views.
Absolutely, if there are innocent people being executed, then it can and should be an argument
against capital punishment. I think that if people are being wrongly executed then it could be
argued that capital punishment should be abolished but at the same time are wrongly
imprisoned so would it be right to argue that we should abolish prisons? I do not believe that
the just system that we currently have should be scrapped but it definitely needs to be
reworked. If capital punishment is here to stay, then trying to reduce errors in judgment is an
absolute must. I don’t think there is any length that is too much in order to ensure that a just
system of punishment is achieved.
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