When considering capital punishment in light of retributive justice, Kant's "respect for persons" ethic can be applied to support the maintenance argument. Capital punishment continues to be an increasingly controversial topic in society and is an important ethical dilemma to discuss. It can be supported especially by Kant's "Respect for Persons" ethic which, when applied to the practice of capital punishment, implies that it is morally acceptable in the sense that it gives people what they deserve. Furthermore, despite the consistent arguments of those who oppose capital punishment, the death penalty appears to be the most practical punitive practice under certain conditions. Before addressing the capital punishment dilemma and its relation to Kant's “respect for persons” ethic, it is important to be informed about the background of this dilemma. A topic of growing and heated debate in today's society, capital punishment involves many more aspects than the average citizen might think. This controversial practice, also commonly called the death penalty, is defined as the legally authorized killing of someone as punishment for a crime. Today, the federal government and thirty-two out of fifty states allow execution for first-degree murder. (Death Penalty Information Center) Most executions are by lethal injection, but electrocution, hanging, gas chamber, and shooting are still legal in some states. In states that allow more than one option, death row inmates can choose their execution based on qualifying circumstances. Under specific circumstances and in certain jurisdictions, treason, kidnapping, aggravated rape, criminal homicide, and murder under…middle of paper…crimes committed. Abolitionists argue that the death penalty should be replaced with a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, but there is no purpose in paying to keep someone alive who is not contributing to society. This is not to say that anyone who commits a crime should be sentenced to death; Only cases and criminals that fall under certain extreme and serious crimes and contain aggravating circumstances will be considered for the death penalty. This practice of capital punishment will continue to be implemented in situations where it is proportional to the crime committed and as long as it continues to satisfy Kant's "Respect for Persons" ethic; i.e. that it is practiced in giving people what they deserve and can be practiced on a universal and universal level and not simply modified in a case-by-case situation.