The Philosophy of Torture

Join the Student Philosophy Society this Thursday, October 16, 2008, as we discuss the philosophy of torture.

How exactly should we define torture?  Can torture be morally justified, and if so, in which cases?  Can torture be used as an effective tool in times of war?  Should torture be either legalized or institutionalized?  Is there any difference between doing torture and merely allowing torture?  What do some of the various moral theories have to offer us with regard to these questions?

Some links you might want to visit before the meeting:

• The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy article on torture:
  http://www.seop.leeds.ac.uk/entries/torture/
• Text of the U.N. “Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment”:
  http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/h_cat39.htm
• Information on the “Stanford prison experiment”:
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_prison_experiment
• Information on the “Milgram experiment”:
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment

Hope to see all of you there!