Hello steemians, today I would like to take a break from defining the mind and instead wish to present a moral delimma. Known as the ticking time bomb scenario, it asks if torture is always wrong.
Assume for a moment, that the authorities have captured a terrorist. They know he has planted a time bomb somewhere in a crowded area, but after intense interrogation the terrorist refuses to give up the location. Would it be acceptable to torture the information out of him? The problem is still hotly debated, and many different answers have been given.
Some believe it would not only be right to torture, it would be unethical to risk the lives of innocents by not doing so. Some have even gone as far as saying if the terrorist didn't give up the information, then there family's should be fair game as well.
Defence attorney Alan Dershowitz gave his support of torture in this scenario, but with a warning about human nature and a fear of unregulated abuse. He suggests that there be a "torture warrant" that will leave a paper trail making torturers and the authorizers accountable incases of excessive or unnessisary violence.
Some objectors have raised concerns with the make up of the thought experiment. Claiming that we cant know for sure that the person is actually a terrorist. Many innocent people have been convicted of crimes due to poor wording in interrogations. Even if he came right out and told the authorities about the bomb, he may just be mentally ill, or some other scenario where he wasn't telling the truth.
Some have pointed out that torture is inefficient, with a high chance of getting false information. Thus wasting resources and time verifying the information, that could have gone into other methods of finding the bomb.
Other objectors raise fears that a group condoning torture may cause others to condone it, and there is no telling if the resulting violence will have more or less of an impact then if the bomb were to explode.
Joe Navarro, an interrogation expert for the FBI raised his objections claiming that anyone who can torture someone and remain unaffected is a psychopath, and you dont want people like that in your orginization as they tend to be untrustworthy or have other grotesque problems.
Personally,I am in the objection camp, but I can understand the thoughts of all viewpoints raised.. What are your thoughts on the subject?
Very interesting thoughts. I honestly don't know where I stand on this topic. In one way I do believe torture should be allowed in that circumstance to get the information but like you said, who's to say that person even knows where the bomb is? Maybe they caught the wrong person and he would be tortured for no reason. It's a hard one for sure.
Hmm interesting post @alex-draw i wil lcheck your profile right now. Have a great day mate, and thanks for share. Upvoted!
Thank you very much! I hope you find my other articles interesting as well
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Tens of thousands of people are in prisons all over the world, many facing death sentences, after being tortured into making false confessions by their interrogators.