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.
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Bedau argues against the death penalty by comparing it to self-defense, suggesting minimal force should be used, and he critiques both deterrence and retributive justifications for capital punishment.

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