Abstract

The death penalty raises ethical questions at a minimum of two levels: regarding the persons directly involved in the events and penal procedures, and regarding the life and structures of society. The issue lies within the wider question of punishment, which calls into question 'justice' in personal and social life, the idea of the common good, finality and shared logics. As understood ethically, the common good indicates, in the sharing of existence, the meaning and purpose of every form of social life. The human quality of relations is relevant to matters concerning the victims, the perpetrators and the responsibilities of society