Derrida and Kant's staging of capital punishment

Abstract

Jacques Derrida's claim that Immanuel Kant was the most rigorous defender of the death penalty has rekindled interest in this topic in the context of Kant's work. Understandably, most articles have focused on Kant's The Metaphysics of Morals, in which he defends the legitimacy of capital punishment. However, many of these readings ignore the fact that the death penalty is a recurring theme in his writing. This article explores references to capital punishment in Kant's Critique of Practical Reason and uncovers a consistent theme: the connection between morality and acts of self‐sacrifice. It aims to demonstrate the challenges of formulating a philosophical argument for the abolition of the death penalty.