Capital Punishment

Question 1

Nml

“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed.”

The action that lead to capital punishment may go against pp of living in ordered society

Answer 1

Aquinas regarded it as legitimate if carried out by the state.

• it would become revenge if left to individuals to perform it.
• it supports the pp of an ordered society.
• it also upholds the cardinal virtue of justice, as it fulfils the act of retribution.
• the catholic church has not totally renounced Aquinas’ position, though pope john paul || and pope francis have expressed strong opinions against it and catholic teaching generally opposes it.

This does not mean the executioner becomes a murderer bc just as god authorised the israelites to kill their enemies, the state authorised the executioner to kill criminals.

Question 2

S.e

Answer 2

There is no set view on this in situationism.
People applying the same set of principles might come to diff conclusions as to what was the most loving action.

It is very much a case of what would affirm love in each situation.

It woyld take into account the concerns of all those involved: the victim , the victims loved ones, The murderer, the murderers loved ones, society as a whole.

One of the working principles states that love and justice are the same, the latter being how the former is expressed in practice today.

FINI

Question 3

Virtue ethics

Key quote “ all virtue is summed up in dealing justly”

Answer 3

The virtue that most obviously applies is the virtue of justice.
- it is alturistic, so the interests of society need to be taken into account.

• the execution of murderers might be justified on the grounds that they oose as a threat to the security of society.
• justice requires people to possess many of the other virtues e.g courage and temperance.

• one aspect of Aristotles understanding of justice was to see it as concerned with putting things right when loss had occurred as a result of unfair dealing or when injury occurred in a fight.
He might have viewed the death penalty as the most appropriate way of restoring the balance required by justice.

•aristotle may have also taken into account the motivation behind particular acts of murder
He might have seen those committed callously and motivated by vices such as greed as demanding restoration through the ultimate punishment.