Skip to main content

What makes torture wrong, according to David Sussman? Moreover, what do torture and seduction have in common?

According to David Sussman in his 2004 article "What's Wrong with Torture?" (in Philosophy and Public Affairs), torture is morally objectionable in a way that other forms of coercion are not, and he says that the use of torture demands a particularly high burden of justification. Here is the crux of his argument:


"I argue that torture forces its victim into the position of colluding against himself through his own affects and emotions, so...

According to David Sussman in his 2004 article "What's Wrong with Torture?" (in Philosophy and Public Affairs), torture is morally objectionable in a way that other forms of coercion are not, and he says that the use of torture demands a particularly high burden of justification. Here is the crux of his argument:



"I argue that torture forces its victim into the position of colluding against himself through his own affects and emotions, so that he experiences himself as simultaneously powerless and yet actively complicit in his own violation. So construed, torture turns out to be not just an extreme form of cruelty, but the pre-eminent instance of a kind of forced self-betrayal, more akin to rape than other kinds of violence characteristic of warfare or police action."



In other words, torture involves making the victim turn against him or herself in a form of self-betrayal that Sussman compares to the type of violation that rape victims experience. He differentiates torture from the experience of physical pain, as torture also involves an unequal power relationship with the perpetrator so that the victim cannot defend him or herself. The power relationship is one of asymmetry, and the victim cannot defend him or herself psychologically or physically. The victim is at the complete mercy of his or her captors and cannot independently verify what they tell him or her. 


Torture is similar to seduction in that torture can involve an immense physical sensation that people can choose to try to ignore or to submit to. As in the act of seduction, torture also involves a complete involvement with the needs and interests of the other person. Like the torturer, the seducer tries to work on the mind and body of the other person to bend the other person to his or her will. While the seducer manipulates the desires of the other person, the torturer manipulates such desires as sleep, food, or other urges. Both processes can involve submitting the victim to shame as a form of coercion. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

What gift did Della buy for Jim and why in "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry?

Della buys Jim a watch fob because his watch is his most prized possession. Della and Jim Young do not have much money. Despite this, Della really wants to buy Jim a good Christmas present. She is even willing to sell her hair to get him a nice gift. This is ironic because we learn Della and Jim both highly prize her hair. Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which... Della buys Jim a watch fob because his watch is his most prized possession. Della and Jim Young do not have much money. Despite this, Della really wants to buy Jim a good Christmas present. She is even willing to sell her hair to get him a nice gift. This is ironic because we learn Della and Jim both highly prize her hair. Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The other was Della's hair.  Della is still willing to sell her hair so she can b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...
Post a Comment
Read more