Torture

"This superior collection of essays by 17 leading scholars provides a timely, penetrating investigation into this morally challenging but important topic.... It is a pleasure to read an edited book in which the chapters speak to each other. This is a well-crafted study in political ethics."--Choice
"What's most striking about these essays is that despite their abstract and theoretical content, they generally do not contradict the depiction of actual interrogators.... The wall between the liberal campus and a conservative, utilitarian-minded military breaks down because the questions are so serious that few of this book's contributors want to engage in polemics, and few--to their credit--ever seem completely comfortable with their own conclusions."--The New York Times Book Review
"These 18 essays from lawyers, political theorists, and social scientists, include contributions from Alan Dershowitz, Ariel Dorfman, and Richard Posner. Edited by University of Texas Law School professor Sanford Levinson, the book is comprehensive and thought-provoking. Levinson divides the essays into four sections. The first, 'Philosophical Considerations,' includes an essay by Michael Walzer, who explores the notion of 'dirty hands'--how leaders remain faithful to moral principles. In the second, 'Torture as Practiced,' authors write about the history of torture in the United States, Europe, and South America. The third section, 'Contemporary Attempts to Abolish Torture Through Law,' explores the Israeli General Security Service's interrogation methods. In the last, 'Reflections on the Post-September 11 Debate About Legalizing Torture,' Dershowitz, Posner, Elaine Scarry, and Richard Weisberg debate torture in the 21st century.'--The American Lawyer
"Conceived wll before the Abu Ghraib story broke, Levinson's collection of essays by philosophers and lawyers provides a cooler, though not dispassionate, look at the issues surrounding torture. Contributors include Jean Bethke Elshtain, Richard Posner, Michael Walzer, and the inevitable Alan Dershowitz.... The collection considers the conditions under which torture might nonetheless be acceptable--notably, the 'ticking bomb' scenario, when the quick extraction of information can save many lives. Dershowitz argues that the normative case against torture remains strong but that under such conditions inhibitions will be overcome--and that it is best that any torturous interrogation be explicit and controlled. His critics denounce such a move as bringing torture into the realm of the legitimate. Other problems are raised, such as identifying the point at which pressure becomes torture."--Foreign Affairs
"Closely argued, well written, and quite readable, these essays jointly constitute a valuable contribution to the field. Recommended for all libraries."--Library Journal