Argumentative Essay on Torture Being Acceptable

Should torture be acceptable?

The matter of torture is one of the most complicated ethical issues in the modern social context. It's useless to reply to the question of whether torture is right or wrong because the answer would often be too subjective. However , it's wise to define whether torture is acceptable in society. In her article for The Perspective, Goldring claims that “according to the Geneva Conventions, ‘torture, cruel or inhuman treatment and outrages upon personal dignity’ is legally prohibited. ” The widespread practice of the past whose goal was to get information as soon as possible generally seems to outlive it self in the current democratic world.

But when it comes to prison, behind the walls, the practice continues to be widespread since it is one of the most reliable ways to make people speak. Even with this apparent benefit, torture isn't acceptable in the modern world due to a variety of reasons. The strongest of them add a high probability of torturing innocent people and the go back to the axioms of totalitarian dictatorship, which really is a significant step back in the social development of an extremely civilized society.

To start with, there always exists a top chance that the information received by means of torture would not be accurate. It's mentioned on the internet site Human Rights First that “the application of psychological, emotional, and/or physical pressure can force a victim of torture to say such a thing just to end the painful experience” (“Statement of National Security”). With this specific evidence, torture becomes a totally unuseful means because it doesn't only don't achieve its primary purpose to receive information, but it promotes violence against violence, which contradicts both moral and legal laws of humanity. Thus, torture is not justified.

Furthermore, it is not just about the moral side of the issue and the peculiarities of modern democratic order, but also in regards to the numerous levels of scientific data which prove that torture does not work in how it is anticipated to. The neuroscientist Shane O’Mara conducted substantial research to prove that in the case of torturing a person, it's not their will which decides to speak the truth or not. It's the peculiarities of the human nervous system that might allow it to be impossible for a person to speak the facts even if they wish. Under conditions of pain, fear, extreme cold, sleep deprivation, and other ensures that have a powerful negative influence on the human psyche, there is a high chance of memory, mood, and cognition damage, as well as a distorted state of consciousness. Carl Elliott concludes that “torture does not persuade people to make a reasoned decision to cooperate, but produces panic, dissociation, unconsciousness, and long-term neurological damage” (“The Neuroscience of Interrogation”). This evidence proves the unreliability of the received data in these conditions and doesn't justify torture not only being an unacceptable method for democratic values, but also being an unuseful means in its very essence beyond ethics and morality.

To conclude, it makes sense to state that as a way to get necessary information as soon as possible, torture would always seem a stylish tool for all those in power. There exists a significant probability that it would be entirely impossible in order to avoid this phenomenon in a society entirely because you can find always those who find themselves for and against torture. However , both science, ethics, and evidence proves that torture can be an ineffective method of the past that will not have a good application in the modern world. Consequently , torture can't be justified as a way on the legal level.

Works Cited

Goldring, Kira. “Can the Use of Torture Be Justified? ” The Perspective, 2017, https://www.theperspective.com/debates/can-use-torture-justified/.
Elliott, Carl. “The Neuroscience of Interrogation: Why Torture Doesn’t Work. ” New Scientist, 2015, https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22830471-200-torture-doesnt-work-says-science-why-are-we-still-doing-it/.
“Statement of National Security, Intelligence, and Interrogation Professionals. ” Human Rights First, 2014, https://www.humanrightsfirst.org/resource/statement-national-security-intelligence-and-interrogation-professionals.