The Moral Principles Of Torture - 991 Words

Many opinions have been historically perceived on modern debates about the moral principles of torture. Torture has been carried out or sanctioned by individuals, groups, and states throughout history from ancient times to modern day, and forms of torture can vary greatly in duration from only a few minutes to several days or longer. (Torture, 2016). Torture is the act of inflicting excruciating pain, as punishment or revenge, as means of getting a confession or information, or for sheer cruelty. (Torture, 2016). Now that we have an idea behind the meaning of torture, we need to know if it is ethical. Ethical can be described as fair, legitimate or moral. All and all, is torture the right thing to do? Let’s take a look at some of the reviews of those that are skilled professionals in discussing if it is just or permissible to use torture. John Stuart Mill and Immanuel Kant are philosophers who stand by and argue their beliefs on what is right and wrong with the use of torture. John Stuart Mill states the right actions are those which produce the greatest amount of happiness (or prevent the greatest amount of unhappiness) for all sentient creatures, where by happiness Mill means the presence of pleasure or the absence of pain. (Casebeer PH.D, (n.d.). His principle is based on consequentialist moral reasoning. For instance, what he used to support his idea is to torture one person to save the lives of large group of blameless people in a life threatening situation, thenShow MoreRelatedIs Torture Morally Wrong?1265 Words   |  6 Pagesbelief 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 wh ether torture is a means towards justice and therefore morally permissible to practice torture on certain occasions. â€Å"Three issues dominate the debates over the morality of torture: (1) Does torture work? (2) IsRead MoreA moral understanding of Utilitarianism and torture1248 Words   |  5 Pages A Moral Understanding of Utilitarianism and Torture KSM is a mastermind terrorist who has been captured by the CIA. He refuses to reveal any information about his organization or the members thereof that could be fundamental to the welfare of hundreds of lives. Even under the presence of coercive methods such as sleep deprivation and water boarding, he has refused to talk. His nine and eleven year old children have been brought into custody and a suggestion has been made to torture the childrenRead MoreAnalysis Of Ayer s Theory Of Emotivism1490 Words   |  6 Pagesthe view that moral knowledge exists then we have to show what things are moral and what things are not moral. Since there is no evidence that declares what things are moral and what things are not moral, it is very hard to determine the good and bad in an action. Since there is no moral knowledge, our moral judgements are just meaningless and hold no truth or falsity. This means that we cannot say that a claim such as ‘killing an innocent is wrong’ is true. If we do not have any moral knowledge thenRead MoreThe Dirty Hands Summary By Walzer997 Words   |  4 PagesWalzer’s essay on the dirty hands principle argues political figures cannot rule without getting their hands dirty or, in other words, being immoral. Walzer’s two main points to justify the principle are; the identity and goal of a leader, and the emotional aftermath of guilt. He concludes it is morally justified to perform unjust acts to protect citizens from a worse scenario provided the leader endures guilt, acting as punishment. Walzer argues getting one’s hands dirty in politics is inevitableRead MoreUtilitarianism And Utilitarianism1066 Words   |  5 PagesStuart Mill is the name that is often brought up. Mill came up with a belief known as â€Å"the principle of utility† or â€Å"the greatest happy principle†. This principle can be simply defined as the decision that makes the most people happy in a situation, is therefore the most moral decision no matter the situation or circumstances. In the hypothetical situation presented, from personal opinion, preforming torture on the madman would in fact be the only way possible in identifying where the several bombsRead MoreJeremy Bentham : A Man Of Many Hats1479 Words   |  6 Pagesa being makes to be governed by the goal of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. He believed this to be true for both human beings and non-human beings, which was part of his defense for animal rights. The Principal of Unity, which is the guiding principle of all ethics to decide what is right or wrong, gives the thought that one action is better than another one, so long as it gives and promotes pleasure rather than pain. Both of these factors of pleasure and pain must be measured in seven differentRead MoreThe Legal And Ethical Perspective Of The World War II1354 Words   |  6 Pageshuman history, enemy combatants of the defeated forces were generally taken as war prisoners, often expected to confront brutal tortures or agonizing executions. Such trend managed to steer its way into recent human history. Some of the most atrocious crimes committed against mankind were witnessed during the second World War where prisoners of war underwent unthinkable torture procedures either to give confessions or for the purpose of human experimentation. Hence, participants of the Geneva ConventionRead MoreThe Fundamental Principle of Morality According to Kant790 Words   |  4 PagesKant, the fundamental principle of morality must be a categorical, rather than a hypothetical imperative, because an imperative based on reason alone is one that is a necessary truth, is a priori, and is one that applies to us becaus e we are rational beings capable of fulfilling our moral obligations. Kant explains this essential truth is how an action as objectively necessary in itself apart from its relation to a further end. This refers to how if the supreme principle of morality was only aRead MoreWhat Is the Right Response to Terrorism?1685 Words   |  7 Pagesincisive strategy to fight it. Along this paper, I demonstrate that torture is not the right solution to respond to terrorism, whereas surveillance might be a better and acceptable proposal. Several scholars and politicians have either widely sustained or contested both issues. In my opinion, torture does not ensure success in fighting terrorism while it inflicts unbearable sufferance. I provide six arguments to demonstrate that torture should not be taken into account at all. They are related to moralityRead MoreCase Study: Applying Kohlbergs Theory of Moral Development782 Words   |  3 Pageswho has argued very convincingly that it might justify torture under very specific limitations. Specifically, Dershowitz has suggested that (only) in cases where there is no question of guilt or denial, torture for the purpose of saving innocent lives could be morally and ethically justified. To avoid torture ever being applied outside of the narrow range of situations in which it is justified, Dershowitz outlined the mechanism of a torture warrant, which could be issued only by a judge and only