The Pros And Cons Of Torture

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

In medieval times, torture was used to punish criminals, deter crime, and gather information. There were many different types of torture, most of which were brutal and painful. At the time, torture was deemed necessary to maintain order. Laws were harsh and torture was severe, but effective, the form of punishment. Though the methods have changed, torture still exists today. Despite its effectiveness in the past, torture is an unfair and cruel punishment, and should be eliminated in all forms.

What constitutes torture? The definition of torture is used in many different contexts, so, there are many different meanings of torture. The definition of torture featured in international law is, “any act of which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession” (Sontag 2). There are many torture methods that have been used throughout history. One form of torture that was commonly used in the past is white torture. White torture is one of the most sadistic forms of torture. It is a form of emotional and psychological torture. Instead of inflicting physical pain onto the individual, they are tormented with sensory deprivation and total isolation. The individual is locked up in a room that is completely white. There are no windows and even the meals that are given are completely white. This torture tactic is frequently used by the Iranian government and the psychological effects of this torture are lifelong.

There are different laws over all countries that control by every government in the world. For those who is a criminal or a prisoner, their country’s government has different laws of punishment to punish them. Torture is one of them. The function of torture is to force someone to say something and as a punishment. Torture is unacceptable which I disagree on which it is an action of inhumanly.

The War on Terror has produced several different viewpoints on the utilization of torture and its effectiveness as a means to elicit information. A main argument has been supplied that torture is ineffective in its purpose to gather information from the victim. The usefulness of torture has been questioned because prisoners might use false information to elude their torturers, which has occurred in previous cases of torture. It has also been supposed that torture is necessary in order to use the information to save many lives. Torture has been compared to civil disobedience. In addition, the argument has been raised that torture is immoral and inhumane. Lastly, Some say that the acts are not even regarded as torture.

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

According to Joycelyn M. Pollock, torture is defined as the deliberate infliction of violence and, through violence, severe mental and/or physical suffering upon individuals. Torture, according to Christopher Tindale as quoted in Torture and the Ticking bomb by Bob Brecher,

Torture falls under the category of cruel and unusual punishment, however circumstance can sway the attitude towards the use of torture. The most prevalent example in society, as well as the one used in the article “The Torture Debate” by Philip Rumney and Martin O’Boyle is terrorism. Based on the information presented in the article I agree that a legalized torture system should be developed under specific

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

Medieval torture wasn’t just purely for the act of inflicting pain through pleasure, but it was also used for interrogation purposes, like to make people extract information and force confessions. It was sanctioned only if there was already half-proof against the inculpated (“medievalwarefare.info, 2017). The people accused of committing a crime who were already sentenced to death, would face torturous consequences to coerce them to disclose the designations of other accomplices. Some inculpable men would take in the suffering of torture without making any avowal, causing the judge to assume they were guilty and that they have transgressed the law. As well as this, some torture victims were subdued by pain, making them acknowledge himself guilty even though he may be innocent. This wasn’t all done for just the act of sadism, but to help create

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.

Torture is inflicting mental or physical pain for the purpose of suffering. This is not the same kind of pain as pulling a bad tooth or splinter. It is known that mental torture causes longer lasting damage than physical torture. Some forms of torture are: isolation, threats, humiliation, and witnessing the torture of others. Torture has been used for gathering information from someone who committed a crime or to take revenge upon a person.

Torture is the infliction of severe pain and/or mental suffering for deterrence, for punishment, or sadistic pleasure, or to induce someone to divulge important information (Lee, 2006). Now let’s us look at the term water boarding and what it mean. It was reported the CIA had been using "a technique known as 'water boarding,' in which a prisoner is strapped down, forcibly pushed under water and made to believe he might drown (Macdonald, 2008). Personally I believe it is a form of torture and enhanced interrogation. The person is already captured by authorities with no means to do additional harm. I’m sure there are others techniques the government has to gain the information needed from terrorists. I believe terrorists should be punished

We can trace the origins of torture (and with it, it’s ever-present ethical and logical debate) all the way back to 530AD, which was when prestigious Roman jurists paved the road for this moral argument, in stating that they believe the result of such torment was “the highest form of truth,” and Demosthenes, a Greek legal orator, stood in solidarity with that idea, adding to it that, “no statements made as a result of torture have ever been proved to be untrue” (Green). And then of course, with these confident advocates, came critics as well. Aristotle recognized that, “those under compulsion are as likely to give false evidence as true… while others are really ready to make false charges against others in the hope of being sooner released

. Imagine being out on the town on for your cousin's wedding in India, and your husband gets arrested. When you go the next morning to bail them out and you walk into the station and hear the cries from others in holding cells and see the families of them crying. You look down at the hands of the officer who is handing you paperwork and see his knuckles are bruised and bloody, you then look up to see your husband with a black eye and busted lip.You then realize, the officers have been abusing the inmates. The people in India don't have to imagine this. The police force in India have been accused on multiple occasions that they have been abusing and torturing the people that they have in custody to make them confess to their crime, or to give up more information.