Year: 1996 Source: Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, 1996. p.54-64 SIEC No: 20021293

This chapter analyzes the claim that morally unjustified acts of killing (such as euthanasia) have at some time been declared justified in various societies or groups. The author evaluates several examples where intentional killing has been condoned at specific times by specific societies on the basis of cultural ethical relativism. These examples include the Salem lynchings (on suspicion of witchcraft), America’s subscription to capital punishment & the Nazi euthanasia program in the 1940s. A differentiation is made between bias-related actions & justified actions. (24 refs) (SC)