Leiser Rejects the Idea That the Death Penalty Constitutes a Denial

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 concludes that any murder (as opposed to a mere homicide) committed in a particularly vile, wanton, or malicious way ought to be punishable by death.