Killing Times

This insightful book examines the death penalty's impact on human mortality and the complexities of its temporal technology, as explored in Killing Times.

Grounded in a profound ethical and political commitment to abolishing the death penalty, Killing Times is an engaging and powerfully argued exploration of capital punishment. David Wills moves beyond traditional legal discourse to examine how the technology of the death penalty shapes our understanding of mortality itself. He begins with Jacques Derrida's observation that the death penalty disrupts the natural flow of mortal time by eliminating the uncertainty surrounding the moment of death. This interruption, Wills argues, reveals the complexities of human temporality and the ways in which the machinery of death manipulates our experience of time.

As Killing Times unfolds, Wills delves into the evolution of execution methods, from the guillotine to lethal injection, and how these technologies reflect societal ideas of cruelty and instantaneity. He scrutinizes the legal system's reliance on narrative, highlighting how stories of crime and punishment shape public perception and policy. Wills emphasizes that the death penalty's temporality is fraught with contradictions, as it intertwines the urgency of punishment with the suspension of time, complicating the relationship between crime and justice.

Ultimately, Killing Times asserts that the implications of capital punishment extend beyond the courtroom, influencing broader discussions around violence, terrorism, and state-sanctioned killings. By analyzing the temporal technology of death, Wills reveals its pervasive impact on our understanding of justice and morality, urging readers to reconsider the ethical dimensions of capital punishment in contemporary society.