Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Date of Graduation
Spring 2016
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Department
Department of Philosophy and Religion
Advisor(s)
Mark Piper
Abstract
In this work I seek to determine which type of self-defense legislation best satisfies utilitarian ethical standards when implemented within an American democratic system, and should therefore be implemented throughout the United States. I begin by explaining and defending the form of utilitarianism employed in my analysis. I then clarify the three primary forms of legislation that have been proposed to govern circumstances of self-defense – Stand Your Ground laws, Castle Doctrine laws, and Duty to Retreat laws – after which I analyze each form of self-defense legislation according to utilitarian standards. I argue that while Stand Your Ground laws and Duty to Retreat laws satisfy utilitarian demands to some extent, Castle Doctrine laws best satisfy the demands of utilitarianism, and, for this reason, should be implemented throughout the United States.
Recommended Citation
Jessop, Jacqueline J., "What is the ethically ideal form of self-defense legislation? A Utilitarian analysis" (2016). Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019. 236.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/honors201019/236
