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Is torture ever justified?

Are there ever times when it is acceptable, or even desirable, for a state or government to torture people? Here are three points of view as example arguments:

1. Sometimes a government needs to get information fast to save innocent lives. For example, a government may have people in prison who may have information about a future terrorist attack. The only way that the government can get this information is by torturing the prisoners. In such cases, torture, though unpleasant, is essential as perhaps hundreds or even thousands of lives may be saved.

2. Torture is never acceptable under any circumstances. It corrupts the people who do the torturing. It reduces civilization to barbarity. It reduces a government to a level the same as or lower than their enemy. And it generates and perpetuates hatred in the hearts of the tortured, eventually leading to further violence.

3. Regardless of the rights and wrongs, torture is a pointless exercise since tortured people will say anything, not necessarily the truth.

Word Checker
torture: the action of inflicting severe pain as a forcible means of persuasion
justified: if something is justified there is a good reason for it
barbarity: the absence of culture and civilization
generate: create
perpetuate: cause to continue
pointless: having little or no sense or purpose

I think to make suffer guilty people is not so bad thing if this is the only way to get nesesary information. A humen body is created not for getting pleasures but for getting sufferings too. Therefore if circumstanses claim to get information immideatly judges do not have to neglect to try information in this way.

It is not hard to say whether torture is justified or not because nobody deserves it. Whatever reason is given to justified a torture, it will never be justified. Something which is unacceptable will always be unacceptable.Let's treat each other as human.

torture is always bad in any circunstance. Most people are using the term "torture" but I rather claim it is a "revenge" and "humiliation" and racist. these are very different meaning.

I believe torture is acceptable for most people during the war time. However, in the issue relate to Iraq prisoners, i believe it is a REVENGE what do you think??? it should not be accepted!

Dear Friends,

What we are seeing today is the torture of Mankind.. and nothing else.. Normally "Elite" people use torture to get the data from the so called "prisoners" but use of such method which can KILL somebody, which can harm physically is unjustified... Mental Breakdown + Physical breakdown of a person leads one to death.. By torture of a person they physically harm him and by the other people they mentally breakdown that person. This is highly objectionable.. There should be rules so that none of this torture is permitted...

Enjoy

hi adhir,

i think you have good reason to say that and i am 100% support what you have said. however, the torture shouldn't been permitted at the first place. in the other word it should be banned.
we live in the 21th centuary not in the stone age.

good luch

The action is not just; therefore, it's not justified. We all are humans with equal rights. A government is there to protect the rights of all people. So if people in the government torture prisoners or people to get information, they'll violate the citizens' rights. In another words, they'll go against what they've promised to their citizens. Although they might or might not get information to save others, but torturing others to get the peace is not a full meaning of having peace.

huy kim wrote:torture is always bad in any circunstance. Most people are using the term "torture" but I rather claim it is a "revenge" and "humiliation" and racist. these are very different meaning.

I believe torture is acceptable for most people during the war time. However, in the issue relate to Iraq prisoners, i believe it is a REVENGE what do you think??? it should not be accepted!

Torturing is not necessary as revenge or humiliation or racism. A government could torture its own citizen to get information that they needed to get. It could be anyone and any race.

Torture is a concept that appeared from too long ago . I wonder whether it started together with the appearance of human or not ? Let's come back the ancient history ,many many turtures happened .Galileo was one of such victims . It was harsh torture of Christian that killed one of the greatest scientist of the world .Now ,returning the present ,we have just witnessed many Iraq soldiers who have been tortured by American soldiers .I had though that torture only existed in the past when people had litter knowledge and education .Now we are living in the best education .People have many chances to access to knowledge all over the world .So ,torture in 21th century as it had happened in Iraq is a failure of education ? a failure of humanity ?

_Arale_

Torture is one form of barbarism and accordingly exists in the barbarous society.Nowdays,times change,we live in the advanced civilization society,Men,regardless of colour,sex and age,are equal all over the world,we call for more respect for men,so we should not allow such uncivilized things happen and it should be excluded from the earth and our minds.

Torture is immoral,which is the common feeling among people.I think that torture is also illegal,which should be stated on the relative international laws and constitutions. Once someone disobeys it,severe punishment should be put on him.

Most of people have a patriotism for their own countries,which is the limited patriotism.We should have the broad love and devotion to the peace of the world.

Absolutely NOT. Torture is NEVER justified. There's no way a human being can torture another one.

Torture is a violation of the human rights and should not be used under any circumstances. The human rights should be respected by all countries.

Arale wrote:Torture is a concept that appeared from too long ago . I wonder whether it started together with the appearance of human or not ? Let's come back the ancient history ,many many turtures happened .Galileo was one of such victims . It was harsh torture of Christian that killed one of the greatest scientist of the world .Now ,returning the present ,we have just witnessed many Iraq soldiers who have been tortured by American soldiers .I had though that torture only existed in the past when people had litter knowledge and education .Now we are living in the best education .People have many chances to access to knowledge all over the world .So ,torture in 21th century as it had happened in Iraq is a failure of education ? a failure of humanity ?

_Arale_

Very well explain Arale.