The Death Penalty, By Ernest Van Den Haag

Ernest Van Den Haag begins his article asking if the death penalty deters more than life in prison. Haag says that even though life in prison is unpleasant, it is still very different from taking the life of a person. He says that 99% of people on the death row would rather be in life sentence (Pg,392 right column). I think anyone would prefer to stay alive, but isn’t a life sentence just like the end of a persons life? They will be confined to a cell for the rest of their life. Haag also talks about special cases, such as the potential to kill while in jail. What else do these inmates have to lose? I think this is when the death penalty can be used. Bedau argues that the death penalty is immoral and barbaric in this civil society. Bedau …show more content…
It focuses on self-awareness and the roles we play in life as a child, spouse, parent, etc. Confucianism believes in an order and harmony of the universe, and how we as people learn to be in accordance with it (pg.148). We as people exist by our connections with other people. For example, children should be respectful to others, be truthful, and be very friendly (book pg 14, 1:6). When the child has free time, he should study. If we are able to fulfill our duties in our relationships, we can participate in this order of the universe. Confucius talks about a superior man, which is similar to Aristotle’s version of a person who is able to live a wholesome life. I agree with these points. I think we as people all have roles to fill in the world, and how we play that role affects others too. There are basic duties for each person, and they must fulfill them to live a good life. Some roles may seem like they have more power than others, but that should not be taken out of context. Each role has to sacrifice something in order for there to be harmony. For example, a wife may have to meet the unfair demands of her husband, but that probably does not mean she has to submit to something unreasonable or harmful. Confucius also makes a point supporting that incompetent people (those who might be abusing their power) will usually be taken out of the system. Confucius focuses a lot on the concept of fate and what a person does …show more content…
For example, the idea of men and women having different duties was twisted into men having control of women. I feel like this ideology has been twisted in a lot of different cultures. For example, Islamic cultures are usually seen as having patriarchal societies. In fact, Islam advocates for women’s rights such as owning property and many other basic liberties. Islam instead sees that women and men are only biologically different, and that men may be physically stronger. This ideology has been twisted in some Middle Eastern countries to create strong patriarchal