Abstract

Successful implementation of the death penalty requires the govern­ment to kill its citizens. Not surprisingly, this practice is controver­sial. One of the most polarizing aspects of capital punishment is what some people—proponents and opponents of the penalty alike—see as its ultimate, definitive nature. However, in this article, I analyze a feature of the death penalty that citizens of all political stripes take for granted: the afterlife. First, I attempt to establish the afterlife’s perti­nence to the death penalty. Second, I find that, due to the uncertain nature of the afterlife, capital punishment must be abolished. Third, I propose a replacement punishment, and explore absurd outcomes of my theory to test its durability.