I'm not sure to what point you are asking this. There is an interesting philosophical discussion about what is wrong with torture, but are you asking becauseL (1) you think it's wrong to say that some things are off limits prettyu much come what may, and torture is an example of womjething that might well be OK in lots of circmstances? (2) You think torture is a bad example of the off-limits-come-what-may? (3) You think there are things that indeed OLCWM, and torture ios among them, and so is killing? I'd like to know because, if we are going to get into this, I'd like to address the concern you actually have. As a first stab, I'd stay that its generally worse to kill someone -- not always; torturers say, youi'll beg me to kill you, and if the torture is carried on their victims do. Torture is especially wrong because it uniquely degrading and humiliating. It damages its victims for life. Perhaps you have seen a movie, I forget the title, with Sigorney Weaver, about a woman who was tortured under some South American terror regime, and by chance gets her torturer in her power -- I think it's from a play by a Chilean guy -- a very powerful explanoration of the theme. At present, with the US taking up torture again in the war on terrorism, while it is interesting to explore just what is wrong with torture, I think it is not constructive to think up possible justifications for it, although one can construct scenarios. jks.
frank scott <frank at marin.cc.ca.us> wrote:"...torture, I believe, is impermissible almost come what may..."
is killing also impermissible? if so, what about war? if not, is torture worse than death? which would you prefer, given that either/or?....which is even worse than the one offered most voters...
fs
___________________________________ http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
--------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - File online, calculators, forms, and more -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <../attachments/20030407/22af5416/attachment.htm>