Add Quote by Auberon Waugh
“Judicial execution can never cancel or remove the atrocity it seeks to punish; it can only add a second atrocity to the original one ... So long as one sees killing as wrong there is no need to waste time with the deterrent argument, since it would be nonsense to try to prevent a theoretical evil in the future by perpetrating an actual one in the present.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Ethics of Capital Punishment” by Auberon Waugh, 1975
Executing criminals adds another act of killing, compounding moral harm rather than delivering justice.
In simple terms: Capital punishment creates a second wrongdoing.
Seek alternatives to lethal punishment.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- court sentencing
- human rights advocacy
- policy reform
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- Is there a humane way to protect society?
- Can restorative justice replace execution?
Deterrence arguments may sway public opinion.