This paper explores the value of studying attitudes to the death penalty from the point of view of a fundamental philosophy of human rights. It argues that certain philosophies are inadequate for expressing the notion of human rights as such and, in the case of adequate philosophies, that the more comprehensive the theory is the better. The paper concludes that the role of a fundamental philosophy is to shape the whole discourse in which the discussion takes place, in much the same way that the basic paradigms of scientific theory lie over and above the practices of normal science. Hence in persuading others to adopt an abolitionist perspective, it is necessary to encourage a change of heart that sees the person in a new light.