Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin (May 28, 1738 - May 26, 1814) did not invent the guillotine, but proposed the use of a mechanical device to carry out death penalties in France on October 10, 1789.
Guillotin was oposed to the death penalty. He hoped that a more humane and less painful method of execution would be the first step towards a total abolition of the death penalty.