eudaemonia

Approaching Torture

Reading the reviews and cogitations from some highly regarded sources on the topic of torture, I've become puzzled. Why do so many assume a hard solid rule is applicable to all cases? What I see is that the approach taken in this case revives the thoroughly discredited Kantian categorical imperative which has almost no relevance to real world contingency. In truth the Kantian approach saves us, as it did for its author, from thinking about hard choices in the real world. As such it is more a soothing psychological poultice for those agonized by confronting moral issues, rather than a serious attempt to confront them. Once again the Aristotelian approach shows itself more relevant to real world scenarios that the Kantian. A sound Aristotelian would weigh the options "under the circumstances". Given the incredibly extreme case propounded by Senator Spector, and the extreme situation faced by our military and law enforcement, torture is not extreme. Torture would be extreme under nearly all other circumstances.

posted by spelunker @ 7:46 AM