Utilitarian Defense of Torture - Essay Example

 It appears that although both sides of the issue can be highly criticized, it is also possible to find justification for tortures when applying the principle of Utilitarianism. As one of the most persuasive and influential approaches to ethics in the history of philosophical thought, Unitarianism was supported by different authors, which resulted in the creation of many varieties of the concept. However, among the most famous and powerful can be named the work by John Stuart Mill, in which he explains the details of the concept and provides logical grounding for its relevance. Therefore, I suggest resorting to the ideas of the famous philosopher to defend the practice of torture.

The core of Utilitarianism is developed from the idea that actions are as good as their consequences are. Mill argued that there is no value in searching for the morality of an action in the action itself while leaving the context in which it occurs without attention. Consequently, according to Utilitarianism, human morality should serve the principle of Utility or the “Greatest Happiness Principle” which persuades that “actions are right in proportion as they can promote happiness and wrong when they produce the reverse of happiness.

” (Troyer 98-99) Moreover, the notion of happiness should regard as a sum of the happiness of the majority, which is more essential than the happiness of the one. Applying the concept of utilitarianism to torturing terrorists or the military, it becomes clear that its essence and purpose can be fully justified under the condition that this intervention is aimed at the common good. Firstly, under the principles of Utilitarianism, the happiness of one person is less important than the happiness of many.

(Evans 53-66) Subsequently, the interests of one person can be sacrificed for the sake of preserving the interests of the majority. Secondly, the morality of an action should be evaluated taking into account the consequences which they would bring, rather than whether a particular action is right or wrong. (Troyer 98-99) It follows that it is morally right to torture a person who holds information related to the potential harm that can be caused to masses of people. The issue of tortures remains a highly controversial and debated one as it has a list of moral, ethical, and legal implications.

However, the relevance of tortures can be justified by applying the moral principle of Utilitarianism which holds that an action is as morally right as the consequences it will produce for the majority of people affected.