On the ethics of torture / Uwe Steinhoff.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Steinhoff, Uwe.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Torture--Moral and ethical aspects.

Torture.

Physical Description:

xi, 191 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Albany [N.Y.] : State Universtiy of New York Press, [2013]

Summary:

The question of when, and under what circumstances, the practice of torture might be justified has received a great deal of attention in the last decade in both academia and in the popular media. Many of these discussions are, however one-sided with other perspectives either ignored or quickly dismissed with minimal argument in On the Ethics of Torture, Uwe Steinhoff provides a complete account of the philosophical debate surrounding this highly contentious subject, Steinhoff's position is that torture is sometimes, under certain, narrowly circumscribed conditions, justified, basing his argument on the right to self-defense. His position differs from that of other authors who, using other philosophical justifications, would permit torture under a wider set of conditions. After having given the reader a thorough account of the main arguments for permitting torture under certain circumstances, Steinhoff explains and addresses the many objections that have been raised to employing torture under any circumstances. This is an indispensible work for anyone interested in one of the most controversial subjects of our times. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 What Is Torture? 7

2 The Moral Justification of Torture 11

2.1 The Argument from Self-defense 11

2.1.1 What Is Self-defense? 11

2.1.2 Proportionality, or: Many Forms of Torture Are Not as Bad as Killing 18

2.2 The Argument from the Culpability for Creating a Forced-Choice Situation 35

2.3 The Argument from Necessity 39

2.4 Reminder: The Justification of Torture Is Compatible with Rights Absolutism 45

2.5 The Utilitarian Argument 45

3 Defusing the Ticking-Social-Bomb Argument: Against Consequentialist Attempts to Undermine the Right to Self-defensive Torture 53

4 Against the Institutionalization of Torture 61

5 Legalizing Torture? 69

6 Objections 79

6.1 Attempts to Quickly Dismiss the Argument from Self-defense and Other Rights-based Arguments 79

6.2 The Defenselessness Argument 92

6.3 But Is It Really Self-defense? Whitley Kaufman and Daniel Hill 96

6.4 David Sussman's Complicity Argument 105

6.5 Kant's Categorical Imperative: The Three Kantian Formulas 108

6.6 "Breaking the Will" (and "Dignity," "Subject Status," and "Self-legislative Rulership") 112

6.7 Torture and the Doctrine of Double Effect 134

6.8 Is the Ticking-Bomb Example Unrealistic? 138

6.9 "Torture Knows No Limits" 147

7 Is Justifying Torture Bad Even If Torture Is Sometimes Justified? 155.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781438446219

1438446217

OCLC:

794922729