Leiser Rejects the Idea That the Death Penalty Constitutes a Denial

question 9

Multiple Choice

Leiser rejects the idea that the death penalty constitutes a denial of the criminal's worth and dignity. Just the reverse, argues Leiser. He argues that the death penalty, based on retributivism, actually affirms the offender's dignity and worth because it treats him or her as a fully responsible person. In the last part of the essay Leiser discusses the limits of the death penalty.
-According to Leiser, if a person is so deranged as to be legally insane,

• A) the death penalty is called for.
• B) imprisonment is justified.
• C) no punishment is appropriate.
• D) any punishment is appropriate.

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Definitions:

General Bodily Arousal

A state of physical and psychological alertness, typically involving increased heart rate and energy, often as a response to stimuli or stress.

Specific Emotion

A distinct feeling that arises in response to a particular event or circumstance, identifiable by its unique psychological and physiological patterns.

Stanley Schachter

An American psychologist best known for his development of the two-factor theory of emotion, which considers both physiological arousal and cognitive labeling.

James-Lange Theory

A theory of emotion that proposes emotions occur as a result of physiological reactions to events.