About "To Kill, or Not to Kill, That is the Question"

I love justice. As a psychology major, I have explored different fields of psychology, including forensic, clinical, and industrial-organizational. While I am unsure of the path I want to take after I graduate, I sincerely enjoyed taking Forensic Psychology in London on a study abroad trip. In this class, one thing we talked about was the inability to execute “incompetent” and “insane” prisoners. Reasons for incompetence and insanity include mental illnesses and mental disorders, such as psychosis and learning disabilities, that inhibit the offender’s decision-making process, understanding of morality, and understanding of the reason for his/her punishment.

I chose “Reflections on the Guillotine” by French philosopher Albert Camus because I wanted to explore the reality of capital punishment and why it is so addictive in society. Murdering a murderer, in my opinion, is so primitive and seems like it defeats the purpose of having a moral code in society. It will be interesting to learn more about why Camus thinks the death penalty should be abolished completely and how his message can apply to America’s criminal justice system. Should the United States abolish the death penalty altogether, make more exceptions, or keep it the way it is? 

Follow me on my journey to discover Albert Camus’ understanding of what the guillotine means for French society in the 20th century and how this can apply to one of America’s biggest ethical debates in the 21st century.

–Courtney Bain

Here is a free PDF of "Reflections on the Guillotine."

https://files.libcom.org/files/Reflections%20on%20the%20Guillotine.pdf

Here are additional resources:

• Camus' Biography: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPahKglseh4

• History of the Guillotine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zveAt15AsL8