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.
-Leiser thinks that the death penalty can actually affirm the offender's dignity and worth.

Question

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Leiser's argument is based on the retributive theory of justice, which holds that criminals should be punished because they deserve it, based on their actions. By applying the death penalty, Leiser argues, society acknowledges the gravity of the crime and, in doing so, recognizes the offender as a moral agent capable of making decisions and being held accountable for them, thereby affirming their dignity and worth.

Leiser Rejects the Idea That the Death Penalty Constitutes a Denial