The Ethics of Torture

Description

Torture has recently been the subject of some sensational headlines. As a result, there has been a huge surge in interest in the ethical implications of this contentious issue. The Ethics of Torture offers the first complete introduction to the philosophical debates surrounding torture. The book asks key questions in light of recent events such as the abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib. What makes torture morally reprehensible? Are there any conditions under which torture is acceptable? What is it like to be tortured, and why do people engage in torture? The authors argue that the force of the most common arguments for torture (like the ticking-bomb argument) are significantly overestimated, while the wrongness of torture has been significantly underestimated-even by those who argue against it. This is the ideal introduction to the ethics of torture for students of moral philosophy or political theory. It also constitutes a significant contribution to the torture debate in its own right, presenting a unique approach to investigating this dark practice.

J. Jeremy Wisnewski is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Hartwick College, USA and Editor of Review Journal of Political Philosophy. His publications include Wittgenstein and Ethical Inquiry (Continuum, 2007), The Politics of Agency (Ashgate, 2008), Family Guy and Philosophy (Blackwell, 2007) and The Office and Philosophy (Blackwell, 2008). R.D. Emerick is Assistant Professor in the Department of Behavioral Sciences, Palomar College, San Marcos, USA.

"Wisnewski and Emerick have produced an impressively thorough philosophical analysis of torture. Their book is a patient, detailed and much needed rebuttal of contemporary arguments put forward that torture can ever be justified, whether morally or out of some alleged 'necessity'." - Bob Brecher, University of Brighton, UK "...eloquent...a clear and informative book. It offers a succinct appraisal of the arguments surrounding torture and is all the better for having acknowledged point of view on what has become a central issue for Western nations facing the challenge of how to respond to terrorist threats to their own security." Times Higher Education Supplement, September 2009 "The analytical subtlety with which Wisnewski (Hartwick College) and Emerick (Palomar College) look at the practice of torture makes their work noteworthy." -CHOICE, 2010