The author argues that the contemporary movement toward more “humane” methods of captial punishment (such as lethal injection) does nothing to alleviate & may well exacerbate the psychological torture of the executed. He aruges that self-execution would mitigate some of the worst features of captital punishment, & would help preserve the dignity of the condemned. He also argues that by focusing attention on the individuality & humanity of the condemned, it could ultimately promote abolition of captial punishment.