Qu'est-ce que la peine de mort ?

Is the death penalty definitively a question of the past? Although over 140 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice, around 55 states still retain and, in some cases, actively use it. This book offers a rigorous introduction in three parts: first, a systematic examination of the two major penal philosophies (retributivism and utilitarianism) and their relation to capital punishment; second, a broad contextualization of contemporary debates, especially in the Anglo-American world; and third, a critical reflection on the compatibility of the death penalty with the principles of a democratic rule-of-law state. The inquiry culminates in two philosophical commentaries on Beccaria and Kant, foundational figures whose opposition still shapes the contours of this debate. While the author does not conceal an abolitionist commitment, he engages seriously with opposing arguments in order to shed philosophical light on a major issue of contemporary justice.