Can knowingly harming another person ever be justified? Christians are taught that mistreating another human being, no matter what the reason might be, is immoral. If a child were to be kidnapped, and the possible kidnapper was found by authorities, some might argue that torture is a reasonable way to get information about the child’s whereabouts. In this case, torture is defined as purposely causing severe mental or physical pain to another person to obtain information or as punishment for an action (“Definition of Torture”). Although it may seem like an effective way to get the child back alive, it is an unethical way to achieve the goal of saving someone. From a Christian ethical standpoint, torture can never be justified because the fundamental …show more content…
Christians, specifically Catholics, believe in a consistent ethic of life which is, "...an ethical framework, in which the equal value of human life and dignity is seen as the foundation [upon which] all ethical questions of life and death can be weighed" (Murphy). Therefore, human lives cannot be valued over other human lives. By torturing a human, you are putting that life below the life of the kidnapped child. Although a child may be in danger, that does not excuse hurting another person. In the Bible, it is stated that humans are created in the image of God by God: "God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female, he created them" (New American Bible Revised Edition Bible, Genesis. 1: 27). So, by harming a human being, you are, in turn, harming God himself. Consequently, because humans are created in God’s image, we all have human dignity. This dignity is inherent to all persons and cannot and should not be taken away from anyone. Both the dignity of the child who was kidnapped as the possible kidnapper are being violated. According to article five of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations, “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment” (United Nations). All members of humanity should be treated with kindness and justice not only because of our inherent human dignity, but also because it is how we would all like to be
It might even be said that a person who allows rape and murder to occur without intervention does not deserve to live. Yet, by believing in an omnipotent being, one is forced to submit to a God who allows these act of cruelty. In the book Foreign Bodies by Hwee Hwee Tan, the author presents a diverse set of characters who deal with this theodicy through their own theological positions. By the end of the novel, Mei
willingness to harm the lives of millions of people, why is it not justified, to inflict pain on
Capital punishment and torture are often looked down on in today’s societies because they are viewed as cruel and unconstitutional, but perhaps they would help in more ways then we would like to admit. They can be beneficial in many ways such as encouragement to be truthful, encouragement to live by the laws, and as a source of punishment. Capital punishment and torture are thought to be too painful, and the person doing the punishment is also committing a crime.
Torture, as defined by the Oxford dictionary is the action of forcing a person to expose something through pain and suffering (“Definition of Torture in English”, 1). It has been a very effective means of extracting information. The practice of torture was originally used on slaves to increase productivity. It later proved to be an efficient approach to force individuals to disclose information. Many civilizations have used this practice throughout history, each with their own unique way. The Greeks used a technique known as the brazen bull. This approach consisted of a victim to be placed in an iron bull and steamed alive (Blinderman, 1). A very gruesome and agonizing approach but widely accepted at the time because it delivered results. Torture, though a controversial topic today, should be acceptable, because firstly, it can lead to the gathering crucial intelligence, secondly, it is a quick approach to gain said information, and finally, it is can be sanctioned in an ethical aspect.
The best moral theory that supports my arguments is Utilitarianism. To choose the greater good based on everyone. In this situation the best decision would be is to torture the child to stop the terrorist. Because, the greater good is to save the millions of lives that are at risk due to the nuclear bomb.
The issue of torture is nothing new. It was done in the past and it’s done now in the 21st century. Without saying one side is right and the other side is wrong, let us discuss the part that we agree on and find common ground. We as Americans want to protect Americans from harms. So how do we prevent that from happening without torturing? It is impossible to get answer without some sort of questioning and intimidation techniques, since we know captured prisoners during war are not easily going to give up information. We know the enemy we face doesn’t follow the Geneva Convention or any law that pertains to war, so does that mean we shouldn’t also follow the Geneva Convention also, which prohibits torture? Of course not, because we want to be example for the world. Republicans argue that we have to do whatever is necessary to keep Americans safe, and Democrats argue it goes against our values and makes us look bad. We as Americans, as leader of the free world we
Is the intentional pain that an individual experiences justified if there is the potential to save the lives of many? Torture is the most used weapon in the “war against terrorism” but does it work? The purpose of this essay is to identify what the motives for torturing are, the effectiveness of torture, and important issues with the whole process of torture.
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain or suffering, mental or physical, on an individual to obtain information, to intimidate or for punishment. Torture is expressed in many ways, for example, rape, hard labour, electric shock, severe beatings, etc, and for this reason it is considered as cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment. Therefore, it is a violation of human rights and is strictly prohibited by international law. Michael Davis and many other individuals have stated that torture is worse than murder. He claims, “Both torture and premature death are very great evils but, if one is a greater evil than the other, it is certainly torture”. With that being said, there are three major reasons to discuss, in which, torture is not morally acceptable. However, in many cases it is considered very beneficial, but the disadvantages outweighs the benefits. Firstly, bullying is a form of torture but to a lesser extent, in which it results in an individual suffering from low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, etc. In addition, torture is mainly used as a means to obtain information, however, it is an ineffective interrogation tool in which, the data given could be falsified. Lastly, torture is sometimes utilized to shatter the autonomy of individual, that is, the right to their freedom and independence, forcing the victim to succumb to the torturer’s way of thinking.
We should treat everyone equally even if they don’t believe in the same things as us. All of the tragedies we have had motivate us to fix our mistakes. If we fix our mistakes our humanity could be so much better. Also if we remember what happened in the past we will know how to handle anything bad that happens better. Hopefully by making our humanity better and learning from our mistakes we will prevent tragedies.
In order to assess the morality of torture, one needs to define it. According to the Tokyo Declaration of 1975 torture is “the deliberate, systematic, or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons acting alone or on the orders of any authority, to force another person to yield information, to make a confession or for any other reason.” This definition’s generality severely limits harmless interrogations by police. The United Nations changed the definition to include severe physical suffering, deliberate intentions, and also added that the action cannot be part of a lawful sanction. The US later revised the definition “to include only the most extreme pain” in 200...
As Shunzo Majima describes it: “According to Kantian deontology, torture cannot be morally justified if an individual’s humanity and dignity are denied through torture and the torture victim is used merely as a means for achieving the purpose of torture” (Majima, 2012, p. 138). Because of the way torture gravely violates a person’s autonomy and treats them only as a means of getting information or for some other end, it is considered inherently wrong in the eyes of deontology. People who are tortured are no longer seen as human or respected as one; instead, they are seen only as tools that can be manipulated and used in order to achieve a certain result. This, to deontology, is morally
Consider the following situation: You are an army officer who has just captured an enemy soldier who knows where a secret time bomb has been planted. Unless defused, the bomb will explode, killing thousands of people. Would it be morally permissible to torture them to get him to reveal the bomb’s location? Discuss this problem in light of both Utilitarian and Kantian moral theories and present arguments from both moral perspectives for why torture is morally wrong.
Schneider asks “who is supposed to raise and love this child once he is born?” (Schneider 11). None can visualize the terrible agony caused by rape, but how much worse would a burden of murder weigh? God loves that baby so much he sent his son Jesus to die for it. No amount or degree of mental pain justifies a murder of what God loves.
On the opposite side, there are people very much in favor of the use of torture. To them, torture is a “morally defensible” interrogation method (8). The most widely used reason for torture is when many lives are in imminent danger. This means that any forms of causing harm are acceptable. This may seem reasonable, as you sacrifice one life to save way more, but it’s demoralizing. The arguments that justify torture usually are way too extreme to happen in the real world. The golden rule also plays a big rol...