I want to pose 2 hypothetical scenarios.
A: A state has captured a terrorist. We know that this terrorist has planted a nuclear bomb somewhere in a large metropolitan area. This area is populated by over a million people. The terrorist has told us that the bomb will go off in 2 hours. We believe that if we torture the terrorist, he will tell us the location of the bomb.
Are we justified in doing so?
B: A state has captured a terrorist. We know that this terrorist has planted a nuclear bomb somewhere in a large metropolitan area. This area is populated by over a million people. The terrorist has told us that the bomb will go off in 2 hours. We do not believe that if we torture the terrorist, he will tell us the location of the bomb. However, we also have the terrorist's 7 year old daughter, an innocent third party, in custody. We believe that if we torture his child in front of him, it will compel him to tell us were the bomb is.
Are we justified in doing so?
Think hard.
A: A state has captured a terrorist. We know that this terrorist has planted a nuclear bomb somewhere in a large metropolitan area. This area is populated by over a million people. The terrorist has told us that the bomb will go off in 2 hours. We believe that if we torture the terrorist, he will tell us the location of the bomb.
Are we justified in doing so?
B: A state has captured a terrorist. We know that this terrorist has planted a nuclear bomb somewhere in a large metropolitan area. This area is populated by over a million people. The terrorist has told us that the bomb will go off in 2 hours. We do not believe that if we torture the terrorist, he will tell us the location of the bomb. However, we also have the terrorist's 7 year old daughter, an innocent third party, in custody. We believe that if we torture his child in front of him, it will compel him to tell us were the bomb is.
Are we justified in doing so?
Think hard.