In This Selection Bedau First Draws an Analogy Between Self-Defense

question 5

True/False

In this selection Bedau first draws an analogy between self-defense and the death penalty. Just as in defending ourselves we are to use no more force than is necessary to prevent harm, so in punishing criminals we are to use no more violence than is necessary to adequately punish the criminal. Bedau then argues that neither the deterrence nor the retributive argument for capital punishment is a good argument. He thinks that the literal application of the lex talionis is barbaric and that long-term imprisonment is adequate punishment.
-According to Blum, racist doctrines were not fully used to justify slavery in the Americas until the nineteenth century.

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Definitions:

Blood-Brain Barrier

A selective permeability barrier that protects the brain by preventing certain substances in the bloodstream from entering brain tissue.

Brain Chemistry

Refers to the complex interplay of chemicals and neurotransmitters in the brain that affect mood, thought processes, and behavior.

Perception

The process by which individuals interpret and organize sensory information to understand the environment and make decisions.

Stimulants

Psychoactive drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines, nicotine, and caffeine that tend to elevate mood, arouse action, reduce feelings of fatigue, and decrease appetite.