The Ticking Bomb Hypothetical

Document Type : Original Article

Author

James H. Rudy Professor of Philosophy, Indiana University

Abstract

Recent literature arguing for, or reaffirming, the impermissibility of torture has deplored the ticking bomb hypothetical and its frequent invocation. I have in mind in particular the work of David Luban and Henry Shue. I share their views, by and large, but at the same time I think that just what is so problematic about the hypothetical has not been adequately articulated. Contrasting this use of a hypothetical from the use of hypotheticals by Philippa Foot and Judith Jarvis Thomson, I argue that the ticking bomb hypothetical has the singular problem that it relies for its effectiveness on the supposed plausibility of the scenario, and yet it is put forward as if its plausibility does not matter. I show how very implausible it is, drawing from the work of Darius Rejali, former FBI agent Ali Soufan, and others. In brief, it relies on the false notion that torture is more effective in eliciting the truth than "non-enhanced" interrogation or that a combination of the two works better than the latter.

Keywords

Article Title [Persian]

تیک تاک بمب فرضی

Author [Persian]

  • مارسیا بارون
استاد فلسفه دانشگاه ایندیانا
Abstract [Persian]

تیک تاک بمب فرضی
ادبیات اخیر که غیرمجاز بودن شکنجه را به چالش می‌کشد یا آن را دوباره تأیید می‌کند، تیک تاک بمب فرضی و استناد مکرر آن را محکوم کرده است. آنچه من در ذهن دارم، به طور خاص، نوشته‌های دیوید لوبان و هنری شو است. من نظرات آنها را به طور کلی به اشتراک می گذارم، اما در عین حال فکر می کنم که آنچه در مورد مفهوم فرضی بسیار مشکل ساز است، به اندازه کافی بیان نشده است. با مقابل قرار دادن این کاربرد از مفهوم فرضی با آنچه که فیلیپا فوت و جودیت جارویس تامسون بکار برده‌اند، من استدلال می‌کنم که تیک تاک بمب فرضی دارای این مشکل منحصر به فرد است که برای اثربخشی خود بر معقول بودن فرضی این سناریو متکی است، ولی با این حال، چنان مطرح می‌شود که گویا معقول بودن آن مهم نیست. من با اقتباس از کار داریوش رجالی، مامور سابق اف‌بی‌آی، علی صوفان، و دیگران نشان می‌دهم که این چقدر غیرقابل قبول است. به طور خلاصه، این استدلال بر این تصور غلط تکیه می‌کند که شکنجه در کشف حقیقت مؤثرتر از بازجویی «ضعیف» است یا اینکه ترکیبی از این دو روش بهتر از دومی است.

Keywords [Persian]

  • شکنجه در بازجویی
  • تیک تاک بمب فرضی
  • تجارب فکری
  • بازجویی
  • علی صوفان
  • داریوش رجالی

References

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Ethical Reflections
Volume 2, Issue 4 - Serial Number 8
January 2022
Pages 127-146

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  • Receive Date: 16 April 2022
  • Accept Date: 16 April 2022

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