Library

The death penalty is the oldest punishment among all punishments in human society. "The Death Penalty: Origin, History and Its Victims" is a book summarizing the history of the death penalty written by German scholar Carl Bruno Leder. The German version was first published in 1980. It has been frequently cited in the nearly 40 years since its publication and has had a great influence. In the book, Carl Bruno Leder explores the different origins of the death penalty by citing rich historical materials, and discusses the history of the death penalty and various specific execution methods for thousands of years from ancient times to modern times. By analyzing different sociological and psychological perspectives, he demonstrates the social function of the death penalty in a detailed argument. Finally, the arguments for and against the death penalty are contrasted and new ideas are presented that clearly justify opposition to the death penalty.