What is Kant’s view of capital punishment?
Fifth Question Set
Provide answers to the five essay questions below. (Note: on questions one through four you should not praise or criticize the authors you discuss. The point of those questions is to explain them, not to state whether you agree or disagree.)
– 1. As discussed in the lecture, what are major justifications for punishment in general? Explain each, and explain also how each can or cannot serve to justify capital punishment.
– 2. What is Kant’s view of capital punishment? When is it to be used, and why? And what means cannot be used, and why not?
– 3. What is van den Haag’s “Best Bet” argument? Explain how this argument works, and what he believes it implies about the moral acceptability or unacceptability of capital punishment.
– 4. What is Reiman’s view of capital punishment? Should it be used or not, and why does he think so?
– 5. Is capital punishment morally acceptable or not? Explain what you believe about when it is moral and/or immoral to use capital punishment, and explain why your views are correct on this issue.