Torture and the Ticking Bomb
Blackwell Public Philosophy Series
1. Edition August 2007
136 Pages, Hardcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
ISBN:
978-1-4051-6201-2
John Wiley & Sons
This timely and passionate book is the first to address itself to
Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz's controversial
arguments for the limited use of interrogational torture and its
legalisation.
* Argues that the respectability Dershowitz's arguments confer on
the view that torture is a legitimate weapon in the war on terror
needs urgently to be countered
* Takes on the advocates of torture on their own utilitarian
grounds
* Timely and passionately written, in an accessible, jargon-free
style
* Forms part of the provocative and timely Blackwell Public
Philosophy series
Preface ix
1 Introduction 1
What is Torture? 3
Dershowitz on Interrogational Torture 6
Why Write about Torture? 8
The Agenda 11
2 The Fantasy of the Ticking Bomb Scenario 14
Dershowitz's Argument and the Ticking Bomb 14
Who Tortures? 21
Effectiveness and Time 24
Knowledge and Necessity 31
The Ticking Bomb Scenario: Conclusion 38
3 The Consequences of Normalizing Interrogational Torture 40
Some Clarifications 41
Three Positive Claims about the Consequences of Legalizing Interrogational Torture 52
The Institutionalization of Interrogational Torture 57
A Torturous Society 72
4 Torture, Death and Philosophy 75
Torture 76
Torture, Death and Interrogation 79
Why No Decent Society Can Torture 84
Torture, the "War on Terror" and Intellectual Irresponsibility 85
But What if Torture Really is the Only Possible Way to Avoid Catastrophe? 86
Two Final Points 88
Notes 89
Bibliography 109
Index 117
1 Introduction 1
What is Torture? 3
Dershowitz on Interrogational Torture 6
Why Write about Torture? 8
The Agenda 11
2 The Fantasy of the Ticking Bomb Scenario 14
Dershowitz's Argument and the Ticking Bomb 14
Who Tortures? 21
Effectiveness and Time 24
Knowledge and Necessity 31
The Ticking Bomb Scenario: Conclusion 38
3 The Consequences of Normalizing Interrogational Torture 40
Some Clarifications 41
Three Positive Claims about the Consequences of Legalizing Interrogational Torture 52
The Institutionalization of Interrogational Torture 57
A Torturous Society 72
4 Torture, Death and Philosophy 75
Torture 76
Torture, Death and Interrogation 79
Why No Decent Society Can Torture 84
Torture, the "War on Terror" and Intellectual Irresponsibility 85
But What if Torture Really is the Only Possible Way to Avoid Catastrophe? 86
Two Final Points 88
Notes 89
Bibliography 109
Index 117
"Bob Brecher has accepted the challenge of the defenders of
torture in this excellent book." (Notre Dame Philosophical
Reviews, February 2009)
"(Dershowitz's) premise is subjected to a withering scrutiny in
this brilliant deconstruction by the moral philosopher Bob Brecher.
In a comprehensive critique of the 'ticking bomb' hypothesis,
Brecher exposes the moral and intellectual flaws in Dershowitz's
arguments and shows how easily such pragmatic rationalisations can
open the door to the creation of a 'tortuous society'. It's a task
that Brecher accomplishes with grace, moral passion and unswerving
logic." (Red Pepper, March 2008)
"A splendid attack on the appalling idea of legalising torture."
(Will Podmore)
"A salutary antidote to those who would waver on the issue
[of torture]...Brecher opens up the wider utilitarian
implications that arise." (Planet Magazine)
"Brecher ... does not reflexively dismiss the
advocates of torture ... .He carefully cites the errors of
their arguments, using logic, expert opinion, and moral
reasoning." (PsycCritiques)
"Brecher relentlessly deconstructs the most misleading hypothetical
of our time. His lively and valuable book shows that even 'noble
cause' torture is always counterproductive."
-Geoffrey Robertson QC, Doughty Street
Chambers
"Quite simply, this book is the most powerful and comprehensive
challenge available to a piece of intellectual fraud having wide
commerce today - that under some hypothetical situation the
infliction of pain to break another's will is morally
justifiable. The ticking bomb, in Brecher's analysis, is a
fantasy that hardly yields grounds sufficient for the employment of
interrogational torture. Here the philosopher's role towards
that fantasy is quite clear: debunk it!"
-Gabriel Palmer-Fernandez, Youngstown State
University
torture in this excellent book." (Notre Dame Philosophical
Reviews, February 2009)
"(Dershowitz's) premise is subjected to a withering scrutiny in
this brilliant deconstruction by the moral philosopher Bob Brecher.
In a comprehensive critique of the 'ticking bomb' hypothesis,
Brecher exposes the moral and intellectual flaws in Dershowitz's
arguments and shows how easily such pragmatic rationalisations can
open the door to the creation of a 'tortuous society'. It's a task
that Brecher accomplishes with grace, moral passion and unswerving
logic." (Red Pepper, March 2008)
"A splendid attack on the appalling idea of legalising torture."
(Will Podmore)
"A salutary antidote to those who would waver on the issue
[of torture]...Brecher opens up the wider utilitarian
implications that arise." (Planet Magazine)
"Brecher ... does not reflexively dismiss the
advocates of torture ... .He carefully cites the errors of
their arguments, using logic, expert opinion, and moral
reasoning." (PsycCritiques)
"Brecher relentlessly deconstructs the most misleading hypothetical
of our time. His lively and valuable book shows that even 'noble
cause' torture is always counterproductive."
-Geoffrey Robertson QC, Doughty Street
Chambers
"Quite simply, this book is the most powerful and comprehensive
challenge available to a piece of intellectual fraud having wide
commerce today - that under some hypothetical situation the
infliction of pain to break another's will is morally
justifiable. The ticking bomb, in Brecher's analysis, is a
fantasy that hardly yields grounds sufficient for the employment of
interrogational torture. Here the philosopher's role towards
that fantasy is quite clear: debunk it!"
-Gabriel Palmer-Fernandez, Youngstown State
University
Bob Brecher is Reader in Moral Philosophy at the University of Brighton, UK and Director of its Centre for Applied Philosophy, Politics and Ethics. He is the author of two previous books, Anselm's Argument: the Logic of Divine Existence and Getting What You Want?: a Critique of Liberal Morality (1998). He has published widely in ethics and social and political philosophy and was the founding editor of the journal Res Publica.
