Capital Punishment Persuasive Essay Sample

📌Category: Death Penalty, Social Issues
📌Words: 422
📌Pages: 2
📌Published: 11 June 2022

Capital punishment refers to the process in which the state executes an individual for their crimes, traditionally serious crimes such as murder, but may also be used in crimes against morality and with religious rooting. A historic form of punishment that has only recently went out of vogue in the last century. Having been ended in the UK in 1965 on the back of the Murder Act; with abolishment attempts going back to the late 1700s. Modern day executions still exist, particularly in eastern countries such as Japan and India but also exists in the United States, in which it is a states right issue. Forms of execution still vary by country with the US favouring lethal injection and Japan favouring hanging, but other forms could include death by firing squad, beheadings, electrocution, and stoning. These acts had historically happened in the public eye where it was a spectacle to see as a message to any would-be criminals; but today in developed countries they have moved the showcase behind walls to avoid modern day sensibilities and emotion.

On the surface, it may seem as if the purpose of the punishment is to fit the nature of the crime meaning the state is getting back at criminals in what they see is just, following eye for an eye rhetoric or punishment as retribution, but this is not always the sole rationale. There are also uses for execution that can be seen as a deterrence as a way to send a message, this means ways in which that would dissuade individuals from committing crims such as murder or face execution. While this is arguable in praxis, it exists in theory. Capital punishment is also used to implement fear on a Populus, this is separate as a deterrence to crime as can be used when the state wishes to impose an image of itself or dissuade any contrarianism. This purpose is often seen with dictators, who utilise fear to maintain their power, as seen in Libya and Cuba. Out with these purposes there a symbolic and expressive  action by the state, creating a greater good by ridding the world of a murderer for example, keeping core to a utilitarian perspective. From here, who has significantly contributed to the sociological ideals surrounding capital punishment? And how has the press in particular affected abolishment of Executions and what is their role in facilitating the discussion to this day?

The Advancement of Sociological Perspective Around Capital Punishment

Historically capital punishment was a spectacle, serving as entertainment, punishment, and a message. So, the question is asked, how has the perspective shifted so highly in the west? Where either the executions have been taken behind closed door or abolished entirely; a contributing factor is advancing sociological perspective.

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