Should Torture Be Allowed or Not The issue of torture is being very current and it arouses debate between those who are totally against it; those who think that it sometimes can be used for good; and those who are in between. The idea of torture was seen only as something that happened far away in time, and it should not even be considered as an issue of the modern society. Furthermore, torture was seen as a violation of the fundamental human rights, which were protected by different human rights conventions. But then something happened and actually influenced the general opinion about the issue of torture. Criminal attacks nowadays are not very rare. As long as we continue to be threatened from those criminal attacks, this issue will …show more content…
What if we are torturing an innocent person and we get no practical results? Torture becomes risky because we do not always have the right person; the one we could get the information we want from. Secondly, I think that torture can be used to frighten some criminals because they would expect that the same is waiting for them too. Knowing that fear is usually on of the reasons why people hold back, torture can be used to frighten criminals, which may result in a lower criminal activity and a decline of criminal attacks. An old roman saying says: “If you want peace, prepare for war.” My opinion is that in order to maintain peace and to ensure safety and protection for the whole people, governments should also consider using torture as one of their means to ensure that. In conclusion, torture is an issue which arouses a great deal of controversy and current debate between those who are pro and against it. In one hand, those who are against the use of torture in any case, argue that torture is immoral, it is against the law, and it also contributes to our society losing values. In the other hand, there are those who think that torture is a necessary and a proper tool to ensure safety and protection for all the people. We all agree that the responsibility of very government in the world is to make sure that their citizens are safe, no matter what they have to do or what means they have to
Torture is something that is known as wrong internationally. Torture is “deliberate, systematic or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons acting on the orders of authority, to force a person to yield information, to confess, or any other reason” (World Medical Association, 1975, pg.1). There is a general consensus that there is a right to be free from any kind of torture as it can be found in many different human rights treaties around the world. The treaties show that all of the thoughts about torture are pointing away from the right to torture someone no matter what the case
David Figueroa Eng. 101A Professor Stern 4/20/15 Final draft In conclusion, in discussions of torture, one controversial issue has been on the use of it. On one hand, the people against torture argue that it is cruel and unusual punishment. On the other hand, those for torture argue that it should be used for the greater good. Others even maintain that under extreme circumstances, it may be admissible if it can save American lives. My own view is that no one should be subjected to cruel punishment because it is not only illegal, unreliable, ineffective, time consuming, it also has too many flaws that could potentially ruin innocent lives. The definition of torture is any act, whether physical or emotional, or maybe both, is intentionally subjected to a specific individual or a group for many reasons. Most of these reasons that torture is administered is for extracting information from an individual or just for punishing him/her for a crime that he/she has committed or is suspected of committing. The use of torture can be used to intimidate a person to give information that may be beneficial for a nation. The use of torture has been used for many centuries. The purposes of using torture have changed over the years as well as the methods in which a person is tortured. One crucial piece that has been established that separates us human beings from barbarians is the prohibition of using torture. There are many reasons why torture has been deemed a crime now in society. There are
Torture has been a sensitive subject in our government and among the people of the US. The article “Torture is Wrong-But it Might Work” Bloche about how even though torture is not moral to some, it can still provide effective results because of advanced techniques and psychological studies. He goes on to say that many believe it is effective but others will say it does not provide adequate results in interrogation efforts. Senators such as John McCain (R-Ariz.) believe it does not help at all; however, other government officials, such as former attorney general Michael Mukasey and former vice president Dick Cheney, believe it does (Bloche 115).
Every single person in America today grew up with the belief that torture is morally wrong. Popular culture, religious point of views, and every other form of culture for many decades has taught that it is a wrongdoing. But is torture really a wrong act to do? To examine the act of torture as either a means or an end we must inquire about whether torture is a means towards justice and therefore morally permissible to practice torture on certain occasions. “Three issues dominate the debates over the morality of torture: (1) Does torture work? (2) Is torture ever morally acceptable? And (3) What should be the state’s policy regarding the use of torture?” (Vaughn, 605). Torture “is the intentional inflicting of severe pain or suffering on people to punish or intimidate them or to extract information from them” (Vaughn, 604). The thought of torture can be a means of promoting justice by using both the Utilitarian view and the Aristotelian view. Using John Stuart Mills concept of utilitarianism, he focuses on the greatest happiness principle which helps us understand his perspective on torture and whether he believes it is acceptable to do so, and Aristotle uses the method of virtue of ethics to helps us better understand if he is for torture. The term torture shall be determined by exploring both philosophers’ definition of justice, what comprises a “just” act, what is considered “unjust”, and then determined if it would be accepted by, or condemned by either of these two
The United States has been, and may again be, under terrorist threat and attacks or other similar incidents. Torture can be used to prevent these terrible incidents and save the lives of many people. Torture in the United States has been a debatable subject for many years now but after resent tragedies, the idea of torture of many American citizens has changed. It has also been debated over more after the attacks on September 9, 2001 than any other time in American history. Many fight the legalization of torture for moral and civil reasons but the truth is that torture is a lesser evil that can be used for a greater good.
Not only can torture do cruel things to the person receiving the affliction, but it can also affect the torturer. When a person gives torture, it damages the humanity of them, which means they will never be the same person again. When torture is used, the victim is treated as a “thing” rather than a person. The receiver is basically dehumanized to achieve the desires of the torturer. Although torture can be used to discover new information, it does not always work that way. Torture can cause inaccurate information to be provided due to the want for the torture to be finished with. In some cases, torture is not the
Torture is a conversation that is spoken on the moral ethics of it. One side that it disregards human life and others say that it is necessary in acts of terrorism or war. I have the same feelings I do for the death sentence and general imprisonment. Deep investigation and complete objectiveness. Although, there usually isn’t a need for investigation for acts of terrorism, but due to the high amount of prejudice in our current time I would suggest to investigate it anyway just in case.
The essay, “The Case of Torture” by Michael Levin, discusses when the use of torture on a terrorist is necessary. Levin provides scenarios of life changing events. In which he thinks torture would be the best method to save the lives of many. He attempts to convince the reader that torture is “morally mandatory” in our society.
In the film Zero Dark Thirty, the use of torture was portrayed as a very effective way of extracting critical information. Due to the “enhanced interrogation techniques” used when being questioned, the CIA was able to track down and kill Osama Bin Laden. Torture is a critical part of the interrogation process, which has led to hundreds of lives being saved over many cases. When comparing the enormous benefits with the minor disadvantages, our society has found that torture should be used in dire circumstances. For these reasons, it is a fact that torture can be justified.
This research paper talks about the controversy of torture in America. Torture is defined as a punishment of severe and intentional pain, either mentally or physically, inflicted on a person, particularly to receive information from him or her (“Defining Torture”). Starting around 530 A.D., the Romans started using torture as a tactic to get statements from people that they claimed they could not get any other way. For the same reason, the French and Italians adopted using torture around the twelfth-century; however, they began to inflict torture on people because their law system required that they must have a confession from the suspect or witnesses in order to punish the person (Green). America adopted similar practices such as the French and Italians did, but the United States government claims that torture has only been used as a way to keep America safe from
Torture will ultimately be grueling on the torturer due to all of the abhorrent conditions they will be exposed to. The act of torturing will also form a guilty conscience after a period time due to the horrendous acts one partakes in, weighing heavily in the forefront of their mind. Even after a guilty conscience is formed the torturer will continue to torture because they believe that torturing is the only way to win a situation. Nevertheless, many people know that torturing is not the
It not only inflicts damage to the tortured, but also to torturer. The torturer becomes desensitized and sees his actions as “a job” and “feels no guilt” (Wolfendale 9). This lack of empathy is not caused by sadism, on the contrary, there is “no significant psychological difference” between a torturer and a normal soldier (Wolfendale 4). This professional detachment is instead a barrier formed by their psyche to stop them from being broken. The organization that tortures will also be hurt. Because of the controversial nature of torture, the government will view their operations as risky and “a subjective process” instead of viewing it as a basis of certifiable intelligence. Based on this evidence, torture causes more harm than its potential
People’s imaginations start to go wild when they hear the word torture. However, there are enhanced interrogation techniques that are more humane than others. Waterboarding, for example, simulates the effect of drowning and is highly recommended by people such as former Vice President Dick Cheney (Defrank). It is highly unpleasant, but breaks no bones and leaves no bruises. It also exposes those performing the interrogation to lesser psychological strain than other methods that could be used would. Torture is accused of being a cancer in society, but if regulated and reserved for the “especially” bad guys, societal homeostasis would be maintained.
Torture is morally wrong because it can affect an individual physically, socially and psychologically. This essay will address the physical affects and psychological affects towards people. Torture is unacceptable because is damages a person’s humanity, values, respect and reputation of the moral authorities. This essay will discuss two accounts for the moral wrongness of torture and they have been discovered by William Twining’s and from his research he noted torture to be morally wrong since the rights of the victim is violated, secondly David Sussman who believes torture is morally wrong because the victim is turned against the victim herself.
Most people out there have mixed feelings about torture. However, torture, in any form, should never be used. Such an act violates our undeniable human rights that we have come to know and understand. No social justice can be brought out of it. Very strong cases against it would should how horrifying and barbaric, in nature, it is.