The morality of punishment by a c ewing london kegan paul trench trubner co ltd 1929 pp xiv 233 this book is based on a thesis which gained for the author the green prize in moral philosophy at the university of oxford it is intro. Punishment is the morally right response to an offence in the past in its pure form this view holds that punishment should be imposed regardless of whether any beneficial consequences will ensue for kant punishment was linked to the categorical imperative that we respect persons as persons and accordingly ought to treat them as ends not means. Punishment is the morally right response to an offence in the past in its pure form this view holds that punishment should be imposed regardless of whether any beneficial consequences will ensue for kant punishment was linked to the categorical imperative that we respect persons as persons and accordingly ought to treat them as ends not means. The morality of capital punishment the death penalty is often used as a form of justice for heinous crimes and it is one of the most controversial topics of discussion throughout the world it is a unique means of guaranteeing that a convicted killer can never kill again there are many views regarding the morality of capital punishment