Capital punishment/death penalty in our criminal justice system

by | Mar 23, 2025 | criminal justice

 

Capital punishment/death penalty in our criminal justice system: Is it effective
to deter criminal acts? Do you support or oppose the death penalty? (1800 Words)

 

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Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

The death penalty, or capital punishment, is a highly contentious issue within the criminal justice system. Its effectiveness as a deterrent to criminal acts, and its moral implications, are subjects of ongoing debate. Here’s an exploration of these complex aspects:

Deterrence and the Death Penalty:

  • The Deterrence Argument:
    • Proponents of the death penalty often argue that it serves as a powerful deterrent, preventing potential criminals from committing heinous crimes due to the fear of execution.
    • The theory posits that the severity of the punishment outweighs the potential rewards of the crime.
  • The Counter-Argument:
    • However, extensive research has yielded inconclusive results regarding the death penalty’s deterrent effect.

The death penalty, or capital punishment, is a highly contentious issue within the criminal justice system. Its effectiveness as a deterrent to criminal acts, and its moral implications, are subjects of ongoing debate. Here’s an exploration of these complex aspects:

Deterrence and the Death Penalty:

  • The Deterrence Argument:
    • Proponents of the death penalty often argue that it serves as a powerful deterrent, preventing potential criminals from committing heinous crimes due to the fear of execution.
    • The theory posits that the severity of the punishment outweighs the potential rewards of the crime.
  • The Counter-Argument:
    • However, extensive research has yielded inconclusive results regarding the death penalty’s deterrent effect.
    • Many studies have found no significant correlation between the presence of capital punishment and lower crime rates, particularly homicide rates.
    • Factors such as socioeconomic conditions, policing strategies, and community support systems are often considered to have a more substantial impact on crime rates.
    • It is also argued that many murders are committed in the heat of passion, or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and thus the perpetrator is not thinking rationally, and therefore not being deterred by the possible outcome of capital punishment.
    • Research has shown that, the certainty of being caught has a much larger deterent effect, than the severity of the punishment.

Arguments for and Against the Death Penalty:

  • Arguments in Favor:
    • Retribution: Some believe that the death penalty provides a just punishment for particularly heinous crimes, offering a sense of closure to victims’ families.
    • Incapacitation: It permanently removes dangerous criminals from society, preventing them from committing further crimes.
    • Justice: Some people feel that the punishment fits the crime, and that those who commit the most heinous of crimes, deserve the ultimate punishment.
  • Arguments Against:
    • Risk of Error: The irreversible nature of the death penalty raises serious concerns about the execution of innocent individuals.
    • Moral Objections: Many people believe that the state should not have the power to take a human life, regardless of the crime committed.
    • Discrimination: Studies have shown that the death penalty is disproportionately applied to people of color and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
    • Cost: Capital punishment cases are significantly more expensive than life imprisonment cases, due to lengthy appeals processes and legal complexities.
    • Brutalization effect: Some researchers believe that the death penalty desensitizes society to violence, therefore increasing violent crime.

My Personal Stance:

  • Based on the available evidence and ethical considerations, I personally oppose the death penalty.
  • The risk of executing innocent people is too high, and the system has been shown to be discriminatory.
  • I also believe that there are more humane and effective ways to address crime, such as investing in rehabilitation programs and addressing the root causes of violence.
  • The evidence that the death penalty deters crime is inconclusive at best, and therefore, I do not feel that it is a valid argument to use.
  • I feel that life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, is a suitable punishment for those that commit the most heinous of crimes.

Key Considerations:

  • The death penalty is a complex issue with strong arguments on both sides.
  • It is essential to consider the ethical, legal, and social implications of capital punishment.
  • The debate surrounding the death penalty is likely to continue, as societies grapple with questions of justice, punishment, and human rights.

It’s important to recognize that this is a highly sensitive topic, and that individuals hold varying perspectives based on their personal beliefs and values.

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