Ethical Frameworks Against Torture

The second ethical framework to consider is the Virtue approach which urges one to question whether or not a given action is reflective of the kind of person he or she wants to be. In light of this approach, one consequence seldom thought of is the impact that becoming a torturer has on those responsible. In torturing a person, the interrogator must overcome all stigmas of violence and dehumanize themselves in order to truly “show no mercy.” While an effective torture is carried out, the virtues of all involved are expensed. The argument in the case for torture overlooks the sacrifices made by those who must alter their entire mentality in a most twisted sense. To knowingly require this of someone requires a problematic moral contradiction in both the torturer and those advocating for the use of torture. …show more content…
This approach lies base to the argument that permitting torture consents to unconscious discrimination. This most notably applies to Arab or Muslim groups to whom the word “terrorist” is racially coded to (120). A crucial point of this approach is its focus on how “fair or unfair actions distribute benefits and burdens among members of a group [and] require consistency in the way people are treated” (Approaching Ethics). An unavoidable result of permitting torture would be predisposing these target groups to “heightened terrorist suspicion” and dramatically declining their chances at a fair judgement. Justifying torture with any hint of a biased nature is both unjust and dangerous as this practice could likely produce more innocents than