The Prisoners Dilemma

A detailed Summary of The Prisoners Dilemma


In the essay, "The Prisoner's Dilemma", Stephen Chapman calls into question the widely-held assumption that the system of imprisonment in the West is more humane and less barbaric than the methods of punishment practiced in Eastern Islamic cultures. Chapman uses sarcasm to lure his readers into agreeing with a position that he will then later attack. This strategy implies that he believes most of his audience would think that imprisonment is a better form of punishment than public punishment. His sarcastic treatment of their position will force the audience to rethink their original opinion on punishment. Chapman attempts to inform the audience of both methods of punishment, rather than persuading them to choose a specific side. Nevertheless, Chapman succeeds in changing many opinions without revealing his own.

Chapman describes the methods of punishment in countries of Asia as "barbaric rituals" for those who are attached to the customs of


In developed countries, such as the United States, Chapman explains how the methods of punishment are much different. As a more advanced civilization, the U.S. has a "presumably" better form of punishment referred to as imprisonment. Chapman describes how the punishment "intended" by the West is the loss of freedom, but he then clarifies that the prison itself is the punishment. Prisoners are subjected to overcrowding, filthy conditions, disease, and routine violence. Chilling stories confirm that prisoners, in some instances, are "being hanged, murdered with blowtorches, decapitated, tortured, and mutilated in a variety of gruesome ways." Chapman states that the federal courts have ruled that the confinement in prisons in 16 specific states violates the constitutional ban on "cruel and unusual punishment." Chapman also highlights the poor conditions of the prisons in Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, and especially, New Mexico.

At this point in his lecture, Chapman que

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Approximate Word count = 660
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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