capital punishment in France. At the end of the essay Camus stated that action must be taken immediately. Camus proposed that France lead the way for the rest of the world by adopting a trial period of ten years in which capital punishment be replaced with labor for life. As a half-measure Camus suggested that the option of self-administered lethal injection (a modern equivalent of hemlock in Ancient Greece) would at least be a first step in a more humane direction. In 1981 the death penalty was abolished in France, the last execution having taken place four years earlier in Marseille. Further reading Barretto, Vicente. Camus: vida e obra. [s.L.]: José Álvaro, 1970. References Bibliography Camus, Albert. The Plague, The Fall, Exile and The Kingdom and Selected Essays. Introduction by David Bellos. Translated by Stuart Gilbert and Justin O'Brien (2004). . . 1957 essays Essays by Albert Camus Ethics books Capital punishment in France Philosophy essays