PHIL Matters Of Life And Death
Exam Overview
The exam will consist of one question selected from a pool of eight.
On Wednesday, there will be a review session where students will vote to eliminate two questions, leaving six for the exam.
Attendance will not be taken during the review session, but students must be present to participate in voting.
Review Session
Important notes for the review session:
Electronics Policy: All laptops, phones, etc. must be closed.
ID Writing: Students must write their ID numbers correctly on their exam papers and must not include their names.
Location and Timing:
The exam room is scheduled for a four-hour period from 10:30 AM to 2:20 PM on Friday.
The expectation is that most students will complete the exam in about 50 minutes.
Overflow time is available for those needing more time (up to an additional 30 minutes).
Assistance with Room Change: A TA will assist students needing to go to an overflow room.
Exam Requirements
Students will need a blue book for the exam.
Definition of a Blue Book: It is an exam book that is completely blank, intended for writing answers.
Distinction between Blue and Green Books: The green book may contain graph paper, while the blue book generally has lined pages.
It is recommended to obtain two blue books for flexibility.
Justice and the Death Penalty
The discussion pivots around the moral implications of the death penalty.
The focus will be on two types of justice:
Retribution
Deterrence
Understanding Justice
Justice Defined:
A set of societal rules designed to maintain order and establish appropriate responses to wrongdoing.
More broadly, justice represents society's response to crime, ensuring accountability when wrongs occur.
Retribution
Retribution posits that those who commit crimes deserve to be punished.
In cases of homicide, the belief is that the murderer forfeits their right to life by taking the life of another.
Core Assertion: If one kills, they deserve to die.
Retribution aligns with Deontological Ethics, which assesses the morality of actions based on their nature and adherence to rules.
Claims supporting retribution:
All Guilty Individuals Deserve Punishment: Anyone found guilty of a crime should face consequences.
Punishment Must Be Proportional: The severity of punishment should correspond to the severity of the crime.
Forfeiture of Rights: By committing murder, the right to life is forfeited; therefore, execution becomes permissible.
Deterrence
Deterrence suggests that punishment serves as a preventative measure against future crimes.
Unlike retribution, which looks backward at the crime committed, deterrence is concerned with preventing future crimes through the fear of punishment.
Key Idea: Punishment as a deterrent aims to dissuade others from committing similar offenses.
Example: If murderers faced instant cosmic retribution (e.g., lightning strikes), it would dramatically lower the murder rate, indicating that fear of punishment affects behavior.
Philosophical Implications
Discussion on Moral Justifications:
Retributive Justice is often seen as detached and rational, devoid of emotional involvement.
Advocates for deterrence argue that the consequences of punishment must extend beyond the individual to encompass societal safety and prevention of crime.
The discussion touches upon the ethical quandaries surrounding the death penalty and whether it is justifiable based on ethical, societal, and emotional foundations.
Conclusion
The study of justice in the context of the death penalty raises complex philosophical debates about moral philosophy, societal rules, and the nature of punishment.
Students should be prepared to engage with these concepts, critique their implications, and evaluate arguments on both sides of the death penalty discussion.
Office Hours and Additional Support
Students are encouraged to utilize office hours to clarify doubts and prepare for the exam, particularly to discuss specific concepts or questions identified during the review of their notes.