Can torture ever been acceptable in democratic civilized society - Essay Example

Can torture ever been acceptable in democratic society Paper proposal The given work deals with the issue if torture is acceptable in democratic society. Notwithstanding that everybody understands well that the democratic society should not accept and use torture in any form, the issue still remains controversial. Torture still is present in our society in different forms, some of which are the production of authoritarian regime while other forms were created by already established democracy. The literature that will be used for the analysis of torture acceptability in democratic society presents different views on torture, precisely the views on the issue from quite different perspectives.

Thus in the article “Torture Damages Democracy says expert on Interrogation” the professor Darius Rejali states that torture can’t be costless. The professor discusses different forms of torture emphasizing the fact that torture affects not only those who are tortured but also the initiatives of torture. It is also mentioned in the article that torture is controversial issue and the same idea is reflected in the article by Paul W Kahn “Torture and Democratic Violence”, the aim of which is to understand what torture means for democratic society: “torture is no more destructive and no more illiberal than other forms of political violence” (Kahn).

The professor Darius Rejali summarized his ideas in the book “Torture & democracy” that became the most comprehensive study of torture in the modern society. Speaking about the forms of torture in the modern society we can’t but mention terrorism. This issue is discussed in several works which will be used for the given research. In the article “Torture State terrorism vs. Democracy” by Orlando Tizon it is stated that the “war against terrorism” is only an excuse of applying torture.

"Only the person who has been tortured can tell how painful it is. The people who torture you dont let you die and they dont let you be alive" (Tison, 2002). The same issue is discussed in the “Work Open Society Institute: Globalizing Torture: CIA Secret Detention and Extraordinary Rendition” by Amrit Singh and in the article “the Use of torture”.In the work “The Proportionality of Means and Ends: The Case against Torture in a Democratic Society? the author Joaquín Jareño- Alarcón raises an important issue discussing the position of torture defenders.

Torture defenders in the modern society state that torture should be used as a method to get the necessary information. The author expresses the negative attitude to this approach: “with terrorist activities becoming an increasingly serious threat to democracy over the past ten years, the morality of torture is now an issue at the forefront of political and philosophical discourse in modern society” (Jareño- Alarcón). In the article “Mexico: Torture in a Democratic Society?” it is stated that it is essential to think not about the effectiveness of torture, but about its appropriateness.

The work “Torture prevention in times of democratic transition” discusses the problem of torture in the process of transition to democracy. The chosen topic is worth-discussing as torture still presents in our society that we can see in the work “How Can a Civilized Society Allow Torture?” by Maura Stephens and in the article “Fighting Torture in Health Care”. The article “Association for the Prevention of Torture” tells us about the origination established in 1977, the activity of which is directed on torture prevention.

With the help of the researched literature the given work will prove that torture can’t be acceptable in democratic society.References1. Kahn, Paul W n.d., Torture and Democratic Violence Retrieved 20 March, 2013 from http://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu/fss_papers/316/2. Jareño- Alarcón J n.d., The Proportionality of Means and Ends: The Case against Torture in a Democratic Society. Retrieved 20 March, 2013 from http://www.academia.edu/2916234/The_Case_Against_Torture_in_a_Democratic_Society3.

Torture Damages Democracy says expert on Interrogation n.d., University of Denver. Retrieved 20 March, 2013 from http://www.du.edu/korbel/news/2011/05/torture_damages_demo.html4. Tizon O 2002, Torture State terrorism vs. Democracy.. CovertAction Quarterly, Retrieved 20 March, 2013 from http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Torture/Torture_StateTerrorism.html5. Mexico: Torture in a Democratic Society? Vancouver, June 28, 2005, Retrieved 20 March, 2013 from http://www.peykarandeesh.org/nofarsi/421-felicitastreue-vancouver.html7. Torture prevention in times of democratic transition n.d., Association of prevention of torture Retrieved 20 March, 2013 from http:// www. apt.ch/en/in-times-of-transition/8.

The use of torture n.d., Retrieved 20 March, 2013 fromhttp://www.in-debate.com/2011/10/the-use-of-torture/8. Stephens, M 2005, How Can a Civilised Society Allow Torture?, Retrieved 20 March, 2013 from http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/october2005/201005allowtorture.htm9. “Association for the Prevention of Torture” n.d., Retrieved 20 March, 2013 from http://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Communities-and-Partners/Partners/Detail/?lng=en&id=1601910. Singh, A 2013, Open Society Institute: Globalizing Torture: CIA Secret Detention and Extraordinary Rendition.

, Retrieved 20 March, 2013 from http://www.cfr.org/counterterrorism/open-society-institute-globalizing-torture-cia-secret-detention-extraordinary-rendition/p2992611. Fighting Torture in Health Care 2012, Public Health Program, Retrieved 20 March, 2013 from http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/fighting-torture-health-care June 26, 2012    12. Rejali, D 2007, Torture & democracy. Princeton University Press