Do you think torture is acceptable in case another innocent life could be saved?

[noname223]

That is quite a philsophical question. I read about that a lot. Maybe this thread will just become as controversial as my politics threads but if you don't like it noone forces you to read it.

A writer from my country made a book/film about that. There was a police man. A criminal kidnapped an innocent child. The police man tortured the kidnapper in order to get the information where the child is hidden. If they don't find the child it probably dies soon. I think the film is mainly about the court hearing. The movie was little bit exaggerated. The police man even used waterboarding. I think they have made that so that it is more dramatic.

I can kind of understand the police man. I think the penalty should not be too high. But there should be one in my opinion. I am really ambivalent. It depends on the scenario. I am strictly against for example Guantanamo bay. I am not really consistent in my logic. I would decide from case to case. I think if a loved one of us could be saved many would consider to torture the kidnapper. But the jurisdiction might should not act in such an emotional way.

What are your thoughts on it? I could not think of a better thread. Sorry. My fragile and kind of manic mind is quite exhausted.
Okay I have some other ideas but I just need a rest. I hope so much my manic symptoms decrease soon.

 

[rationaltake]

I hope so much my manic symptoms decrease soon.

I experienced a lot of mania in the past. To come down from mania I pretty much went in for sensory deprivation. Lying down in the quiet and the dark. It's hard. Hope it gets better soon.

 

[Smart No More]

Did the film have Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhall in it? Sounds a bit like a film I saw. Prisoners? Think that was the title.


There are most certainly times where toture could be warranted but you can almost always only know that in hindsight. It's a very slippy slope to assume it's okay based on ones understanding of the situation as we're all limited by our imagination and understanding and even a slight shift can reveal a totally different picture than the one we currently see. Talking hypothetically though, I think there could be justification for cruelty/torture. I nudt don't think we have the ability to make that judgement call. Especially in a time sensitive situation. It's known to provide poor intel too because people that don't want to tell you something will just tell you what you want to hear as will an innocent person that doesn't have the info required.

 

[DeutscheKartoffel]

I assume common interrogation tactics are possible inside the police station when it comes to high profile criminals, if there are enough evidence and charges to be brought forward.

 

[YourNeighbor]

Let's just clear up the premise a bit. There is a lot of research on torture, and it's a pretty bad interrogation technique. Torture is useful to terrify/subjugate populations subject to authoritarian/totalitarian rule, not to elicit reliable information.

 

[demuic]

There's no guarantee that the info provided by the one being tortured would be accurate. They could say anything just to get it to stop. Or in that time sensitive situation, they could just provide some random misinformation to waste their time. Or in the case of someone innocent, how would they be able to convince the torturers they really don't know anything without enduring a lot of pain first? It's just not a good idea.

 

[user_name_here]

I get the feeling you just want to inflict pain on people and having an excuse of "it's for others safety" seems like an attempt validate evil intentions

 

[noname223]

Did the film have Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhall in it? Sounds a bit like a film I saw. Prisoners? Think that was the title.


There are most certainly times where toture could be warranted but you can almost always only know that in hindsight. It's a very slippy slope to assume it's okay based on ones understanding of the situation as we're all limited by our imagination and understanding and even a slight shift can reveal a totally different picture than the one we currently see. Talking hypothetically though, I think there could be justification for cruelty/torture. I nudt don't think we have the ability to make that judgement call. Especially in a time sensitive situation. It's known to provide poor intel too because people that don't want to tell you something will just tell you what you want to hear as will an innocent person that doesn't have the info required.

Not it was a German production I think the film sucked. I have only watched a short part of it.

I get the feeling you just want to inflict pain on people and having an excuse of "it's for others safety" seems like an attempt validate evil intentions

No absolutely not. I am wondering how you come to this concluison. I would use this method only in very very few extreme cases.
But to be honest the anwers in this thread were better then my ideas. It is probably true that torture in the vast majority is a poor interogation technique. Their line of argument kind of convinced me. Though I am not 100% sure if there is absoluetly no case where it would necessary in order to save the life of the innocent child.

 

[Dysgenic Pup]

Check this out https://www.philosophyexperiments.com/fatman/Default.aspx

 

[walt]

More often than not we see the big guys in the world using our emotional reactions to stressful situations to justify horrific crimes against humanity. Take your pick, war, terrorism, whatever it may be.

In a small sense, yeah, I'd say to get information to save a child from a guy like that, go ahead and do it. But in the grand scheme of things, trying to apply this to rule of law wouldn't work, and would only lead to unnecessary suffering, of people who might even be innocent. I also agree with other replies here that said people will be willing to admit to things they didn't actually do in stressful scenarios, this is an actual psychological concept law enforcement has studied closely - and at times has abused.

It's a really hard question to answer and it depends.

 

[rationaldeath]

Do you believe the kidnapper deserves to suffer for causing suffering to the child?