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Is torture ever justified?
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Torture doesn't work

Torture warps the mind and information said can be false because of it.
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The Argument

Torture can produce false information by harming those areas of the brain associated with memory. Chronic and severe stress compromises integrated psychological functioning, impairing recall and facilitating the incorporation of information contained in leading questions. The captive and interrogator both might not know this subtle process of incorporation has occurred. Torture fails during interrogation because it can assault our core integrated, social, psychological, and neural functioning.[1] Overwhelmingly, experts agree that torture produces unreliable information, and that it undermines attempts to get detainees to cooperate.[2]

Counter arguments

Premises

[P1] Torture compromises memory and impairs the recall of events. [P2] Torture damages neural functioning. [P3] Torture is not an effective way of gaining information.

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13642980600608384?src=recsys&journalCode=fjhr20
  2. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-interrogated-brain/201603/why-torture-doesnt-work
This page was last edited on Tuesday, 22 Sep 2020 at 07:32 UTC

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