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The Phenomenon of Torture: Readings and Commentary (Pennsylvania Studies in Human Rights)

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So says the current administration, and so say most Americans--which is precisely why William Schulz's collection is so timely and important. Surely one of the explanations for why so many people deny that waterboarding or sensory deprivation is torture is lack of clarity on what the phenomenon of torture actually is. The essays in this anthology go a long way to clear up the confusion.

Probably the single most important section of the book is Chapter IV, "The Dynamics of Torture." It's there that the phenomenon of torture is explored. Torture isn't merely a set of physical techniques for inflicting pain. More fundamentally, it's an intentional set of actions, as this section's authors point out, that destroy the self, the very identity, of the torture victim and intimidate the rest of society. Moreover, as the essays in Chapter III, "Who Are the Torturers?" make pretty clear, torture also morally and spiritually destroys the torturer's identity as well as the identity of the society that condones torture. Given this understanding of torture, debates about whether it's ever morally justifiable take on much greater weight than they typically have in the last five years or so.

Absolutely essential reading. Recommended without reservation.

The Phenomenon of Torture: Readings and Commentary is an anthology of essays by learned authors discussing the widespread human rights crime that is torture, practiced in more than one hundred countries - now including the United States. Why is something so cruel and brutal so entrenched? Can anyone become a torturer? Are certain societies more prone to use torture? Are there any circumstances under which torture is justified? How can torture be stopped, or at least reduced? The readings seek to better understand this hot-button issue, and cover the history, experience, and dynamics of torture, who the torturers are, and what experience has shown ultimately can bring an end to torture and healing to victims. A sober, astutely assembled compilation and a much-needed contribution to modern-day discussions of government policy.