The ethics of capital punishment Ethics is "the study of the criteria of right and wrong; that part of philosophy which deals with moral conduct, duty and judgment" .[1] Capital punishment is "the death penalty" for a crime."[2] The word "capital" in "capital punishment" refers to a person's head as in the past; people were often executed by cutting the head from the body. Since the early 1800s, most executions have occurred for murder convictions. The death penalty has also been imposed for crimes such as armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, and treason punish people who have committed any kind of crime, most of the time because these people want justice; that capital punishment is only necessary in extreme cases, such as murder, while others believe that it is wrong and should not be adopted out loud Amnesty International's view on the death penalty is that it is a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and a violation of the right to life"[3]. People who commit crimes such as murder (mass or just individual), rape, and kidnapping should all be punished for what they have done. For example, the current issue with the "mastermind" of Balibombing. Amrozi Bin Nurhasyim will be tried and, if proven guilty, the death penalty will be imposed. Although he believes himself to be a hero, I believe that because he killed so many people and injured many more, the death penalty is the only appropriate and adequate punishment. Many people oppose the death penalty because they consider it cruel....... middle of paper...... that capital punishment is the best way to punish people who kill and commit other drastic crimes. I believe that murderers should be punished with the death penalty for taking someone else's life, even though everyone has their own opinion and it's okay to have a different opinion. Whether capital punishment is ethical also depends on your beliefs, and I hope this essay has given you an insight into capital punishment and helped you determine your opinion.---------------------------- ----- --------------------------------------------- ----- [1] World Book Online Dictionary - http://dictionary.worldbookonline.com/wbol/wbDict?lu=ethics[2] World Book Online Dictionary - http://dictionary.worldbookonline.com/ wbol/wbDict?lu=capital %20punishment[3] Amnesty International report “The death penalty"