THE ETHICALITY OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: WHAT DO YOU THINK? IN THE CONTEXT OF THE INDIAN PEOPLE

Abstract

The study delves into four distinct areas where arguments for and 
against the death penalty have evolved: moral prospects, state 
domination, deterrence, and revenge.This research paper will discuss 
the death sentence alongside the competing concepts of morality. The 
death sentence is a terrible punishment meted out in the most 
exceptional of circumstances, in contrast to the norms of morality, 
which often center on lofty ideals of good and wrong.The rationale for 
the death penalty is the belief that it reduces crime and the number of 
offenders, leading to an improvement of the nation as a whole. "Is it 
morally right to give the death penalty to an accused?" is the question 
that emerges in this context. The death penalty is a contentious topic; 
some argue that it should never be used because of the inherent cruelty 
and barbarism of the punishment, while others maintain that it is 
necessary to put an end to the horrible and inhumane crimes that are 
common in today's society.1  There are two schools of thought within 
moral philosophy that defend the use of punishment: retributivism, 
which holds that the offender deserves punishment for his actions, and 
utilitarianism, which defends punishment on the grounds that it would 
decrease crime rates.2 Philosophers such as Immanuel Kant and H. L. 
A. Hart have provided important moral codes and ideologies that the 
researcher will address throughout the study.