Each response should be at least 150 words.

1. Based on the arguments and discussion from the course materials, as a society, do you think we should have the death penalty? Why or why not?
2. Based on the arguments and discussion from the course materials, do you think people should be punished for using or selling what often currently illegal drugs? Why or why not? If so, what type of punishment? Why? (For this question, you may want to be specific about the drugs you have in mind).

Below is another students’ discussion posts and respond in Prompt #1 write a least 60 words on whether and why you agree or disagree with what they said.

Prompt #1When you take a look at the death penalty in today’s society there is a lot of discussion about whether or not the death penalty should be in place. On one side you see that there can be an effect on people not committing crimes because they could face the death penalty. You also can see that people in society believe that if someone kills someone then they also deserve to be killed. On the other side it is looked at as if it is really moral to kill someone because they committed a crime. Other reasons look like what if someone ends up getting the death penalty but they were actually innocent because there are a lot of wrongful convictions. Based on the reasons I just stated I believe there should not be a death penalty in place unless there is 100% evidence of the person committing the crime. I believe that these people committing the crimes are still human at the end of the day and life in prison will affect them more.

UNIT 6 QUIZ

1.    What are some of the most important theories of punishment, or theories about what justifies punishment, from the course materials?

2.    What are some of the most important arguments that the death penalty is sometimes morally permissible, if not obligatory, from the course materials?

3.    What are some of the most important arguments that the death penalty is always or nearly always wrong, if not obligatory, from the course materials?

4.    The course materials present some interesting and novel arguments that many drugs that are currently illegal and criminalized should be legal and decriminalized and that it’s unjust to punish people for drug use. What were those arguments?

5.    What are the main arguments reviewed in the readings to think that drug use should be illegal and criminalized? Attempt to state some of the most important arguments in logically valid form.