[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-325198-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-325198-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","on-capital-punishment","On Capital Punishment","","A reflective argument against capital punishment by Gabriel Wells, addressing why the death penalty repeatedly returns for reconsideration in public and parliamentary debate. The text critiques reliance on deterrence and reform, arguing that punishment rests logically on retaliation while remaining bounded by human limits. It frames execution as an evasion of punishment, contrasts state-safety reasoning with ethical concerns, and discusses related cases and moral psychology.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/religion-spirituality/","Religion & Spirituality",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/on-capital-punishment/325198/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/on-capital-punishment/325198.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Ava Thompson","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-16","2026-09-21",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",8,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"Why does the question of capital punishment keep coming up for reconsideration?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"It is revisited again and again through formal proposals such as appointing committees to consider the issue, drawing repeated, familiar arguments from both sides.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What does the author say is the true logical basis of punishment?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Punishment has only one logical basis: retaliation. Deterrence and reform are described as subsidiary factors rather than equal foundations.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"Why does the author argue that capital punishment is not genuine punishment?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"It is described as an evasion of punishment because, if the executed were able to know they are dead, the act would carry meaning; as it stands, execution is treated as morally and logically deficient.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},325198,1790920952,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,101,106,111,115,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & 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DIVISION  \n# BIBLIOGRAPHIC MICROFORM TARGET\n\nORIGINAL MATERIAL AS FILMED-EXISTING BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD  \nReproductions may not be made without e/mission trom Columbia UniverslyLbranes.            \nRESTRICTIONS ON USE:  \nTECHNICAL MICROFORM DATA  \nFILM SIZE:            5mREDUCTION RATIO:     /.1  \nIMAGE PLACEMENT:IA  \nDATE FILMED:                  65/97TLMTBACKING\\#:                                                                                              23866  \nFILMED BY PRESERVATION RESOURCES,BETHLEHEM,PA.  \nThrough the President's OfficeBY\\B:I1L.WEL1.3(二×249  \n# ON CAPITALPUNISHMENT\n\n# INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE\n\nThnugh hePre one CIigBYGABRIEL WELLS  \n# ON CAPITAL\n\nPUNISHMENT  \n# ON CAPITALPUNISHMENT\n\nBYGABRIEL WELLSLoNDONWILLIAM HEINEMANN LTD.New YoRE  \nDOUBLEDAY,DORAN &COMPANY,INC.1929  \n工C05Ln  \n# ON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT\n\nEVIDENTLY there must be somethingabout the imposition of the penalty of deathupon a conscious human being which pricksthe conscience of civilised mankind,for withalmost periodical regularity the question ofCapital Punishment keeps coming up for recon-sideration.Once again the House of Commons,with an engaging touch of freshness,resolvedthat“it is desirable that a Select Committeeshould be appointed to consider the question ofCapital Punishment.”  \nWill the consideration this time differ greatlyfrom that on previous occasions?I fear it willnot.We shall be treated to the same stereotypedallegations,pro and con,which we know so wellby heart already.Even the statistical figures putforward by both sides will be made to balancealmost evenly.  \nFor centuries no appreciable change has beenmade in the attitude towards Capital Punish-ment.Its scope has been gradually restricted;but its validity has never been successfully  \nPRINTED IN GRRAT BBITAN  \nAT THE WINDMELL PRESs,KDNGswoOD  \nSURRET  \nON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT  \nimpugned.The reason for this immobility ofposition is mainly due to a faulty conception ofpunishment proper.In saying this,I am notunaware ofthe fact that there are countries whichhave now abolished Capital Punishment alto-gether.But these countries are among those thatkeep alternating between abolition and re-intro-duction of the death penalty,and generally onthe grounds of utilitarian calculation.As if bylegislation crime could be wholly extinguished!And as if crime and punishment bore an externalmeasurable relation to each other!Law is acurb not a solvent.Have we not known believersin the reality of Hell to commit acts which theyknew to be sinful,which they knew to be viola-tions of the Ten Commandments?  \nArguments on punishment usually turn uponthese three forms:Deterrence—the effect itproduces upon others;Retaliation—the satis-faction of society's injured sense of justice;Reform—the process of normalising the offender.All three have aplace in the scheme of punish-ment,but not an equal place.Punishment hasonly one logical basis,and that is Retaliation.The other two—Deterrence and Reform—aresubsidiary factors.Deterrence rightly belongs tothe system of prevention,reform to education.To make Deterrence the chief element in punish-  \nON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT  \nment is to violate the principal of equity.It isnot ethical ever to use a human being,which isan end in itself,as a means.It is also ineffective,as crimes,especially major crimes,are com-mitted mostly from passion or instinct,forceswhich move with directness.To make Reformthe chief element is to violate the principle ofjustice with its implication of retribution.Hewho does wrong must be made to bear the conse-quences.It is also mostly futile,since chronicmental deformities can no more be rectifiedthan chronic bodily diseases can be cured.If itwere in man's power to re-form a human being,then reform might well be assigned the centralplace on the high grounds of humanity.  \nRetaliation alone is the true method of punish-ment.But,like everyt","cbCaisTDVaVLecLQ","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaisTDVaVLecLQ","pdf",411734,12,"English","# On capital punishment\n## Legislative and public debate\n## Faulty conceptions of punishment\n## Deterrence vs retaliation vs reform\n## Limits of retribution and meaning of death\n## State safety, pacifism, and war exceptions\n## Moral repugnance and public agitation","[{\"question\":\"Why does the question of capital punishment keep coming up for reconsideration?\",\"answer\":\"It is revisited again and again through formal proposals such as appointing committees to consider the issue, drawing repeated, familiar arguments from both sides.\"},{\"question\":\"What does the author say is the true logical basis of punishment?\",\"answer\":\"Punishment has only one logical basis: retaliation. Deterrence and reform are described as subsidiary factors rather than equal foundations.\"},{\"question\":\"Why does the author argue that capital punishment is not genuine punishment?\",\"answer\":\"It is described as an evasion of punishment because, if the executed were able to know they are dead, the act would carry meaning; as it stands, execution is treated as morally and logically deficient.\"}]","On Capital Punishment | PDF",1789969923]