Torture and the Ticking Bomb

Bob Brecher is Reader in Moral Philosophy at the University of Brighton, UK and Director of its Centre for Applied Philosophy, Politics and Ethics. He is the author of two previous books, Anselm's Argument: the Logic of Divine Existence and Getting What You Want?: a Critique of Liberal Morality (1998). He has published widely in ethics and social and political philosophy and was the founding editor of the journal Res Publica.

• Preface ix1 Introduction 1What is Torture? 3Dershowitz on Interrogational Torture 6Why Write about Torture? 8The Agenda 112 The Fantasy of the Ticking Bomb Scenario 14Dershowitz’s Argument and the Ticking Bomb 14Who Tortures? 21Effectiveness and Time 24Knowledge and Necessity 31The Ticking Bomb Scenario: Conclusion 383 The Consequences of Normalizing Interrogational Torture 40Some Clarifications 41Three Positive Claims about the Consequences of Legalizing Interrogational Torture 52The Institutionalization of Interrogational Torture 57A Torturous Society 724 Torture, Death and Philosophy 75Torture 76Torture, Death and Interrogation 79Why No Decent Society Can Torture 84Torture, the “War on Terror” and Intellectual Irresponsibility 85But What if Torture Really is the Only Possible Way to Avoid Catastrophe? 86Two Final Points 88Notes 89Bibliography 109Index 117

"Brecher relentlessly deconstructs the most misleading hypothetical of our time. His lively and valuable book shows that even 'noble cause' torture is always counterproductive."Geoffrey Robertson QC, Doughty Street Chambers "(Dershowitz's) premise is subjected to a withering scrutiny in this brilliant deconstruction by the moral philosopher Bob Brecher. In a comprehensive critique of the 'ticking bomb' hypothesis, Brecher exposes the moral and intellectual flaws in Dershowitz's arguments and shows how easily such pragmatic rationalisations can open the door to the creation of a 'tortuous society'. It's a task that Brecher accomplishes with grace, moral passion and unswerving logic."Red Pepper, March 2008"Quite simply, this book is the most powerful and comprehensive challenge available to a piece of intellectual fraud having wide commerce today – that under some hypothetical situation the infliction of pain to break another’s will is morally justifiable. The ticking bomb, in Brecher’s analysis, is a fantasy that hardly yields grounds sufficient for the employment of interrogational torture. Here the philosopher’s role towards that fantasy is quite clear: debunk it!"Gabriel Palmer-Fernandez, Youngstown State University"A splendid attack on the appalling idea of legalising torture."Will Podmore “A salutary antidote to those who would waver on the issue [of torture]…Brecher opens up the wider utilitarian implications that arise.”Planet Magazine “Brecher … does not reflexively dismiss the advocates of torture … .He carefully cites the errors of their arguments, using logic, expert opinion, and moral reasoning.”PsycCritiques