11200978 - Nguyễn Thuỳ Dương - HW08

Ethics

1. Do you against capital punishment? What theory that you apply to support your idea?
I do against capital punishment because of several reasons based on deontology theory: 
 According to Deontology, society has a moral responsibility to safeguard human life
rather than take it. Human life may be taken only if it is a necessary condition for
attaining the greatest balance of good over evil for all parties concerned.
 Furthermore, there is no evidence to support the argument that the death penalty
deters violent crime more effectively than, say, life in jail. In truth, statistical studies
comparing the murder rates of countries with and without the death sentence have
found that the rate of murder is unrelated to whether or not the death penalty is used.
Unless and until it can be proved that the death penalty, and only the death penalty,
deters murder offences, we are required to refrain from applying it when other
alternatives exist. 
 The death sentence not only wastes lives, but it also wastes money. Contrary to
popular belief, it is far more expensive to execute someone than to jail them for life.
Because death is the ultimate punishment, tremendous procedural procedures must be
taken throughout all phases of death penalty cases to ensure that the possibility of
mistake is minimized. As a result, the cost of executing a single capital case is around
three times that of keeping a person in jail for their remaining life expectancy, which
is approximately 40 years. 
 Finally, the death penalty hurts society by devaluing life. Allowing the state to kill
some of its inhabitants legitimizes the taking of life. Anyone's death, even that of a
convicted murderer, lowers us all. Society has a responsibility to put an end to this
practice, which does so much harm while yielding so little in terms of benefits. 
 
2. Do you think we should not eat meat? Animals have the right to live because they are
also living creatures?
 
I believe that we should not eat meat anymore since numerous studies have shown that meat is
not ideal for the human body and may actually be making us sick and killing us. The human
body is intended to function on plant-based foods that are full of fiber, antioxidants, unsaturated
fat, essential fatty acids, phytochemicals, and cholesterol-free protein.
 
Moreover, animals not only experience pain, but they also have memories, familial ties, and
relationships to people. Some animals (such as dogs and cats) are considered worthy of our care,
whilst other creatures with similar intellect, such as pigs, are slaughtered for food. Humans have
disconnected themselves from their own food chain, and hence from the misery caused to
animals by meat consumption. 
However, because eating meat is a tradition, we're frequently raised from a young age eating
meat, so our bodies are so habituated to the taste and feel of meat that meat-eaters find it difficult
to adapt to a plant-based diet. And the major still believes that animals, unlike humans, are not
sentient creatures. This moral argument is sometimes carried a step further, positing that people
are, in fact, authorized to consume meat since they (as the bible states) have dominion over
animals. Meat is a necessary source of nutrients and calories for a substantial portion of the
human population, which is one of the most compelling arguments for meat consumption. 
To conclude, I believe the answer to this question is "Yes, we should not consume meat, but not
only for animal rights, but also for other reasons." True, we all have our own belief systems, our
own reasons for eating or not eating meat. However, in a more crowded world with diminishing
resources, environmental issues may prove to be a compelling justification for plant-based diets
in the future.