If given the chance to save hundreds from a terrorist attack and all one had to do was carry out torture, would they do it? What if a young child was kidnapped and the police wanted permission to torture the kidnapper, would permission be granted? In “The Case for Torture” by Michael Levin, he explains that torture is sometimes necessary. I agree that torture could be necessary depending on the situation at hand. Levin explains that torture can be morally mandatory, justified, and can prevent future evils.
My topic of discussion for this paper is, is it ever permissible to torture a person? This argument will include both the main argument and the counter argument. This argument is meant to be inductive. In this finial paper, I will ultimately be defending the position against using torture because the use of torture is not only illegal, but it is not effective and it treats people as less to nothing. Torture is longed age practice and still so to this present day.
Utilitarianism is a teleological ethical theory based on the idea that an action is moral if it causes the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people. The theory is concerned with predicted consequences or outcomes of a situation rather than focusing on what is done to get to the outcome. There are many forms of utilitarianism, having been introduced by Jeremy Bentham (act utilitarianism), and later being updated by scholars such as J.S. Mill (rule utilitarianism) and Peter Singer (preference utilitarianism). When referring to issues of business ethics, utilitarianism can allow companies to decide what to do in a given situation based on a simple calculation.
3-Hence, it is morally permissible to go forward with torture. It is clear that the argument is not sound, since the first premise is assuming that torture is a necessity and the second premise is no less morally problematic or
Academic Search Complete. Web. 08 Feb. 2016. This source explains that torture is actually one of the last methods used when they are interrogating someone since many know that it has a very low success rate. If the person is not willing to cooperate, they go down a list.
Utilitarianism is the theory which purports its essential goal the achievement of conceivable greatest happines of entire community. This purpose is to be attained in a manner which search for reasons increase a satisfactions of each specific person in community, after that, collect and summarize all different needs and inclinations, lastly discover how to fulfill a satisfaction of the most of people. This policy is such a thing that increase the satisfaction or happines of the most of people, or such a thing that decrease happines of the lowest number of people, is the special case which is more right than wrong to select. Utilitarianism demonstrate interest for equal redistribution of resources when this redistribution has an effect on fulfillment
Abstract Scholars subscribe to the view that the most potent way of determining the usefulness of any good theory is its applicability to existing societal realities. John Stuart Mill’s theories of liberty, the subjection of women and utilitarianism represents such theories and have helped to shape up the frame of thought of many constitutions in human history. This is evidenced by the attention paid by such constitutions to certain concepts like, freedom, liberty and equality. Mill is considered among the most influential thinkers in the history of liberalism for he contributed widely to social theory, political theory and political economy. However, Mill’s act utilitarianism principle has been greatly criticized by various academics and
Once everything is defined, one must now weigh their options, and evaluate the outcome of the actions. Finally, one must choose the option that permits the greatest balance of good overall, so to choose any other action would be considered immoral. That being said, a utilitarian does not always have to choose the option that benefits the most people, since the goal is to bring about the least amount of misery; besides, the benefit of helping the majority may bring a greater cost of well-being to the minority. Additionally, utilitarianism is associated with consequentialism, as they both concur that the results of one 's actions signify whether it was morally right or wrong. In doing so, they must consider the effects to as far as they go into the future.
It states that an action which is deemed right is one that has not merely some good consequences, but also the greatest amount of good consequences possible when the negative consequences are also given due considerations. According to the utilitarian principle, the righteousness of an action is solely judged on the basis of its consequences. Classical utilitarianism determines the balance of pleasure and pain for each individual affected by the action in question as well as the amount of utility for the whole
Torture When it comes to the topic of torture, some of us will readily agree that torture is necessary when dealing with terrorists. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of receiving false information. Whereas some are convinced that torture is the only way to get information out of terrorist who are threatening to put thousands of innocent lives in danger. Others maintain that doing this will violate laws such as the Bill Of Rights which forbids cruel and unusual punishment. My own view, however, is that terrorism aims to spread and increase fear within civil society in order to achieve certain political goals.