Customer Reviews

The Death Penalty: For and Against (Point/Counterpoint: Philosophers Debate Contemporary Issues)

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Pojman & Reiman do an excellent job seting forth the best arguments for and against the death penalty. Since they both agree on the principle of desert (that justice consists ingiving peoole what thye deserve), they have a common starting assumption. Reiman differs only to he extent that he doesn't think we always must punish people to the extent they deserve and argues hat the death penalty debases us. Pojman makes a good case for the deterrent effect of the death penalty.Awell argued book.

I'm dissapointed at the arguments brougt forward by the philosopher in favor for the death penalty, Pojman. Even if you ignore the content of his arguments, the logic on which the argument was built didn't hold much water. Even though I'm myself against the dead penalty, I have seen others make a better and more coherent case for it. Pojmans last argument, that people that are against the dead penalty and pro choice are somehow immoral, is gratuitous and has nothing to do with an argument for the dead penalty. I would have expected a more thourough and convincing case.