Torture and the Ticking Bomb

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