Abstract
Spirituality and the Ethics of Torture
Derek S. Jeffreys
New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. 191 pp. $85.00
This simply written book explains why torture is never justified. Contrary views are carefully considered and found wanting. The result is a brilliant account of one of the most troubling moral issues of our time, grounded in a compelling reflection on what it means to be human and to act humanely.
Although many books discuss torture from a political or legal standpoint, few address the spiritual and moral dimensions of this issue. Derek S. Jeffreys, a professor of humanities and religion at the University of Wisconsin, superbly steps forward to fill the gap. Writing from a Roman Catholic perspective, he affirms human dignity on the basis of a Thomistic conception of spirituality. Those who take their bearings from a more typically Protestant understanding, grounded in the belief that all persons are created in the image of God, will have little difficulty in connecting with his argument.
Jeffreys believes that religious values are indispensable to resolving the torture debate. He is, of course, aware that many American churchgoers no longer reject torture unconditionally. For example, a 2009 survey by the Pew Research Center found that a majority (54%) of those who attend church regularly maintained that torture can sometimes be justified, while a majority of those not attending church insisted that torture is always wrong. Jeffreys contends that “we cannot adequately comprehend the immorality of torture without considering our inner life” (5). He equips those who are opposed to torture with powerful arguments that could help turn the disturbing situation in our churches around.
A strength of the book is the author’s thoughtful discussion of two points often raised in defense of U.S. torture: the lesser evil argument and the dirty hands argument. Against the former, Jeffreys explains why resorting to torture as a matter of policy brings incalculable harm to those, whether societies or persons, who perpetrate it (to say nothing of the victims), while against the latter he maintains that the dirty hands view, which claims that immoral actions are unavoidable given the ambiguities and complexities of political power, offers no real guidance for political decision-making and in any case leaves leaders too much leeway for their choices. A principled stance against torture is not a matter of “self-indulgence,” as torture apologists claim, but rather the only position compatible with long-term political wisdom and cherished spiritual values.
The book was written before Barak Obama was elected president. Many have the impression that Obama reversed the torture policies of the previous administration. Unfortunately, this perception is not entirely true. The history of U.S. involvement in torture is a history of loopholes. Every one of Obama’s Executive Orders to eliminate torture has turned out to have gaps in it. Guantanamo has not been closed, secret U.S. prisons (or their functional equivalent) continue to exist at points around the globe, torture by proxy is still common, and practices tantamount to torture are permitted by the Army Field Manual. In general the infrastructure that made the expansion of U.S. torture possible remains intact. Although torture is an international crime, not one high-ranking U.S. official has been held accountable (and many have been rewarded). The torture bacillus in our midst has not died, and until it does, Spirituality and the Ethics of Torture remains essential reading.
George Hunsinger
Founder, National Religious Campaign against Torture
Washington, D.C.