The Ethics of Interrogation: Professional Responsibility in an Age of Terror

Author/Contributor(s):	Lauritzen, Paul ; Lauritzen, Paul
Publisher:	Georgetown University Press
Date:	05/01/2013
Binding:	Paperback
Condition:	NEW

Are harsh interrogation and torture ever morally justified for a nation at war? Ethicist Paul Lauritzen explores the challenges terrorism poses for the United States and its citizens as it attempts to respond to enemies of our national security. Examining the professions of psychiatry, law, medicine, and the military, Lauritzen analyzes and assesses the debates surrounding the enhanced interrogation regime adopted by the US government as part of its counterterrorism measures in the aftermath of 9/11, and whether or not this regime violates US law and codes of professional ethics. These codes are important, Lauritzen argues, because they provide resources for democracies and professionals seeking to balance concerns about safety with civil liberties; such codes also help shape the character of those within the guild. Lauritzen demonstrates that amidst fierce debates the professions of psychiatry, law, medicine and the military insisted that certain forms of harsh interrogation were deeply incompatible with American values of human rights and respect for human dignity. As he concludes, Americans should be able to say, "This we do not do."