...Torture and Ethics Paper Alfreepha Williams AJS/532 July 21, 2013 Patricia DeAngelis Torture and Ethics There are many views or definition of the word “torture”, which is often debated by many individuals. According to “International Rehabilitation Council For Torture Victims” (2005-2012), “torture is an act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining information or a confession, punishing him for an act committed” (para. 2). “Torture is anguish of body or mind; something that causes agony or pain; the infliction of intense pain (from burning, crushing, or wounding) to punish, coerce, or afford sadistic pleasure; or distortion or over refinement of a meaning or an argument” (“Torture,” 2013). There are debates about torture and whether or not is unethical or a cruel and unusual punishment. People have been taught to believe that torturing a person is unacceptable and inhumane. However, the torturing of an enemy to get answers is not considered cruel and inhumane especially, when it involves saving the lives of many. This paper will analyze whether torturing enemy combatants or high-value targets violates standards of morality in an American free society. It will also examine whether the act of torture violates basic human rights and if it could have global implications, and last determine if torture may be justified under ontological, deontological, utilitarianism, or the natural...
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...believe that the use of torture in a post September 11 world is ethically more permissible in the eyes of most U.S. citizens. The attacks created a great worry among all the citizens and they wanted to do whatever it took to secure the national borders from all terrorism. Stereotypes abounded and many started to wonder about any foreigners, even those that were already in the country. The systematic implementation of torture in the wake of the 9/11/01 attack has become more apparent with the surfacing of documents since the Abu Ghraib scandal broke in April of 2004. The abuse of U.S. prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison was only the first case of 9/11-predicated torture that became widely publicized. In fact the U.S. government is implicated in crimes against detainees in many locations across the world. In 2006 Army and Navy investigators concluded that at least 26 prisoners in custody in Iran and Iraq were likely murdered by their captors, where only one of the deaths was in the Abu Ghraib prison. In 2005 it was reported that 108 U.S. detainees had died in custody, based on information provided by U.S. military officials. The most publicized case of torture at the hands of U.S. officials since 9/11/01 has been the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal, in which Iraqi prisoners were reportedly subjected to abuse, torture, sodomy, and homicide by U.S. military personnel. In Kiobel v Royal Dutch Petroleum, the oil giant is accused of being an accomplice to torture, extrajudicial executions...
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...Torture and Ethics Paper Jennifer Yow ASJ 532 June 16, 2014 Since -9/11, torture has been official US policy by George Bush at the highest levels of government. On September 17, 2001, George Bush signed a secret finding empowering CIA to "Capture, Kill, or Interrogate Al-Queda Leaders." (Lendman, 2008). It also authorized establishing a secret global facilities to detain and interrogate them without guidelines on proper treatment. In the same time, Bush approved a secret "high-value target list" of about two dozen names. He also gave CIA free reign to capture, kill and interrogate terrorists that were not on the list (Lendman, 2008). What is torture: (a) the intentional infliction of extreme physical pain or suffering on some non-consenting, defenseless person; (b) the intentional, substantial curtailment of the exercise of a person's autonomy (achieved by means of (a)); (c) in general, undertaken for the purpose of breaking the victim's will." We will discuss terrorism and torture, look at arguments for and against each practice, and ethically evaluate those arguments (Lendman, 2008).. If pain is meant to break the will of the person, one must ask when we might have an interest in doing so. Certainly violating the freedom through violence is not acceptable for citizens; I may not justifiably torture you to obtain what I want from you, be it your property, your behavior, or your ideological consent (Lendman, 2008). Also, the police may not torture to obtain information...
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...The paper of ethics and torture 544 3/14/2016 Melba V. Pearson The paper of ethics and torture The following of September 11 tortures has become the method use, within the United States policy from former President Georgia W. Bush within the highest stages of the American government. During 9/11 former President Bush signed a document that would give the CIA the control, to capture kill also interrogate terrorist leaders and group member of that outfit as well. It even gave the CIA the authority to obtain private locations around, the world to capture also interrogate the terrorism with the human right being taken away from them within theses private areas they used. Then former president as well develop and top property lines, of high valued names of terrorist. This government agency granted the right to detain, interrogate also kill the terrorist that was not on the high-value list. Many people within a society have different definitions of torture. However, torture is a person that intentionally physically harms a defenseless, also not consenting individual severely. The considerable deliberate curtailment, with the exercises of a person self-sufficiency, obtain by any means necessary commonly to assume the reason for breaking the will of the not consenting individual. Also in this paper, we will talk about terrorism. Torture look at both sides in favor and not in the use of torture it evaluates each side ethically (Jeremy Diamond, 2014). In the practice of...
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...Torture is a method of gathering information; it dates back to early medieval times where gruesome techniques were used. Throughout the years, the techniques have changed, but the method of torturing for information still survives. Some people encourage the use of torture for information, while others discourage it because they believe that it goes against human ethics. Human ethics are the rights that all humans have, and the big controversy over torture is whether torture goes against those ethics. In this paper the method of torture will be examined for both encouragement and discouragement based on the views each person has of human ethics. It is quite easy to look at worldwide news telecasts and know what kind of things that American...
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...Torture Despite the strong commitments of the US legal system of torture, ever since 9/11, torture became an acceptable tool to be used. The practice of torture is difficult to address because there is not a concrete definition of what torture is. Thinking torture can be justified is not the same as thinking it is necessary. A survey posted by The Huffington Post, concluded that respondents were more uncertain about whether information gained through torturing suspected terrorists is generally reliable or unreliable. The survey also found significant uncertainty over whether the U.S. had used torture to track down Big Laden, as the new movie “Zero Dark Thirty” portrays. As defined by dictionary.com, “torture is the act of inflicting excruciating pain, as punishment or revenge, as a means of getting a confession or information, or for sheer cruelty.” However, there are many other definitions. Defined by the United Nations Convention Against Torture, torture is an act where intentional pain is inflicted on a purpose. According to the Third Geneva Convention, torture is known to cause no “no physical or mental torture, nor any other form of coercion, may be inflicted on prisoners of war to secure from them information of any kind whatever”. Who draws the line as to which specific practices are harsh enough to correspond to those words? Some have suggested that torture is worse than killing, and that torturing the innocent is morally worse than murder. The most prevalent forms...
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...Utilitarianism is a normative ethics theory that holds that the proper course of action is one that maximizes utility or happiness and the reduction of suffering. In utilitarianism, the moral worth of an action is determined by its resulting outcome. It is a form of consequentialism that is result-oriented and pragmatic. A thing or action has value outside of itself and the end result justifies the means by which it was achieved. Francis Hutcheson, under whom Hume studied, espoused the idea that the best action is the one that obtains the greatest happiness for the most, and the worse action is the one that causes the most misery. Hume went on to say that the best way to settle an issue was by discerning the true interests of mankind. Relative to torture, a utilitarian would justify such action as a means to gather valuable information and intelligence, save lives, or cause the demise of something or someone who could cause physical, technological, biological, or economic harm. Kantian duty-based ethics or deontology is the position that judges the morality of an action based on the actions adherences to rules. It can be described as duty, obligation, or rule-based ethics. It is rule oriented and principlistic. A thing or action or person has intrinsic value or good with qualification. Means to an end are self-justifying. Immanuel Kant argued that to act in a morally right way, people must act from a mind-set of duty. Additionally, Kant argued that is was not the...
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...To torture or not to torture is an ethical dilemma for whoever is in charge of making that call. The results may or may not seem justified to some or unjustified to others. With the theological/consequential view, is “result oriented”, if it takes torture to get the results intended, that’s the course of action is taken to do so. This is an action that one can view as ethically unbiased to the one who makes the call to torture or not to torture and the worthiness explicitly based on the results they want. As for deontological, they are” rule oriented” They examine the action and the rules. They might rule out the thought of torture and decide not to torture but do what is needed to attained the result within reason. Utilitarian,” is concerned with maximizing the benefits for the maximum number of people.” Utilitarianism puts into perspective that any form of strategy that is put into play and helps the majority to be happy is honorably right,” then we can likewise quantify the pain and simply subtract the sum of pain from the sum of pleasure/” Is this the right course of actions to take? Or should I ask, to torture only some will make a small number miserable as long as millions can be saved in return. The utilitarianism thinks so. Kant said it best,” that the categorical imperative is used to identify how we must act out of regard for duty and respect for the moral law.” The value of one’s deed is of no importance to morality. Knowing that you are doing wrong is unacceptable...
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...My Whether torture should be allowed in situations such as interrogation and other areas of security, is a debatable topic. Christians must provide strong biblical references, instead of our emotions, or it can cause us to get drawn into a political confrontation and lose witness with someone. An utilitarianism would probably search the specific issue of torture out to see if it fit their description of “Good and/or Right”. If this torture of one person or a small group were to benefit thousands of others by saving their lives and protecting their personal security, utilitarianism would say that it is good to do this because it is at the benefit of the more, and is right to do so in turn. Kant’s Duty based ethics would look at this situation and ask if the person performing the torture was fulfilling duty by doing so. If this person were following the instructions by the higher command, it doesn’t matter how this person feels, the duty is being fulfilled and that is a good and/or right thing. Virtue ethics have a seemingly similar approach, but focus more on the emotions and feelings the person has other that the motives. This person that is torturing out of duty is fulfilling that duty nonetheless, but this person might enjoy torture for his own personal gain. Even though the duty is being fulfilled, virtue ethics say that this person is wrong in doing it, not by fulfilling the duty, but by other selfish motives. If this person were doing it out of love of country in order...
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...Chase Vanzant Phil201 August 16, 2013 To Torture or Not??? According to the Utilitarianism perspective, “the utilitarian is concerned with maximizing the benefits for the maximum number of people” (Holmes, Pg. 43), which invokes an appropriate theoretic principle for the probability of diminishing the resolve of the prisoner through torture. These efforts of torture would also be associated with consequentialism, which is results oriented; driven to achieve the best results by any means necessary and doing whatever is needed to get the job done by allowing the ends to justify the means. Obtaining the needed information by means of torture for the benefit of saving human lives would be the underlying principle of achieving the greatest good for the greater number of individuals involved. Kantian duty-based ethics states, “we must act out of regard for duty and respect for moral law, (…) always treat persons as ends and not just as means” (Holmes, Pg. 63), which would be associated with deontology that is ruled based. As an American being threatened with terrorist attacks, which would cause massive loss of life, a duty to America and its citizens would be to obtain any and all necessary intelligence that would aid in preventing such an act. Acting on a moral and civic duty to country and person(s) as well as a respect for life, deontologists would not necessarily be against...
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...While the question, “to torture or not to torture?” is a valid question; I feel that it is important for man to understand why he is torturing the other. What justifies physically or mentally abusing someone to get information? At what point do we decide for another man that he is or is not worthy of this abuse? Each viewpoint would suggest its own justification for the prisoner. Kant said you should never treat people merely as instruments; never just as means to your own goals. Humans, he says, are autonomous beings with their own goals. (Perry) Utilitarianism would allow the torture if it meant better for society as a whole and was to their benefit. Kantian duty-based ethics would, “just be following orders” and not stop to think about the impact they are making on the prisoner or even for queen and country” or to “protect my children”. Virtue ethics would find themselves asking if it was morally appropriate to cause the prisoner to suffer and what the justification would be in said situation. Christian-principle based ethics would choose to follow the Bible and God’s call to love and show forgiveness to those who have wronged us as to whether the prisoner should be tortured or not. From a Christian-principle based ethic standpoint, it would be very situational as to whether they were to torture the prisoner. While the stereotypical Liberty students view would be to base my decision upon my Christian beliefs, I actually would decide upon a mix of these views. Hopefully, I...
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...Final Draft Article--Torture Let’s first take a look at an overview about how ethics relate to both Mill and Kant when discussing torture, both having two completely different views. Kant uses moral reasoning, “categorical imperative”, which says that a person’s behavior should live up to moral laws. He states that moral laws are the truth of reason and that all rational people should oblige to the same moral law. He focuses on moral verses immoral actions, allowing us to make easier decisions that involve only bad and good. Kant does not however talk about decisions when faced with the opposite, for example, when faced with bad vs bad or good vs good. He talks about having belief in free will, God and the eternal soul. Freedom plays a...
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...ETHICS IN BUSINESS . Table of Contents Introduction: 1 Body one what is ethics: 2 Body two the four views of ethics: 3 Body three the ethical challenges: 5 Body four companies reaction to unethical action: 6 Conclusion: 7 The summary: 8 References and bibliography: 9 Introduction: Management is an exiting topic to study. It gives people the ability to interact with the recent action around the world. Also it gives people the authority to judge the situation, and make a decision based on their perspective views. In addition, ethics is one of the most anticipate it topics in business and in real life situation. People will start to decide the action whether it is ethical or not. Also how people ethical views are different from culture to culture. People have opposite opinion about the situation based on effect their life positively or negatively. Ethics is not just for individuals to care about. Governments, organizations, and banks spend a huge amount of money on determent what is ethical and what is not? Companies could lose all their customers if they made an unethical action. Governments could lose all their supporters if had an unethical scandal. Even, celebrities would lose all of his fans if he or she did unethical action such as racism or sexual abused. However, most of companies have guidelines or policies to face and prevent any unethical issues in side the organization against costumers or employees. Business ethics is a very important factor...
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...Torture can be initiated through causing some form of mental anguish or physical pain, usually in order to gain information from the person being tortured. Torture is usually punishment for a serious crime,but is usually for the purpose of extracting a confession from an accused person. Many wonder nowadays should torture still be used in this day and age. Torture has been around since the times of the Ancient Greeks and is still around today, notoriously used in criminal organizations but also utilized by various governments when dealing with terrorist. Once the torture of Jews at the hands of the Nazis in World War II became knowledge to the public. In the nineteenth century Public opinion changed on the subject of torture, but torture still continued to be conducted but this time away from the watchful eye of the public International laws were legislated into effect to prevent the use of torture such as the...
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...Investigating Officer NAME AJS/532 August 5, 2013 Margery Melvin Deception by the Investigating Officer There are three sides to every story: the suspect’s version, the police’s version, and somewhere in the middle lies the truth. Humans by nature will instinctively do anything to ensure the security of his or her survival. Regardless if an individual is guilty or not the possibility of meeting consequences for his or her actions will almost always sway the individual to deny said actions to prevent the consequences from happening. Law enforcement personnel walk a fine line with regard to the use of deception, to find the truth. This paper will analyze the code of ethics in comparison to law enforcement procedure, and the role of nonverbal communication play with regard to detecting deception. The Ethics of Deception Ethical and moral behaviors are characteristics that individuals have but not all individuals have the same degree of moral ground. Everyone has the right to free choice and free-thinking, which are the foundation of the pursuit of happiness, life, and liberty. Within the context of free choice, humans have the choice of telling the truth or lying. Truth is usually only given freely when the foreseen benefit exists; otherwise most individuals will resort to a lie. By nature, humans do not want to experience pain, harm, or anything that may restrict individual freedoms. For individuals who violate laws, social norms, or otherwise commit an act, which will...
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