Torturing Professions

International Journal of Applied Philosophy 22 (2):243-263 (2008)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

What are the conceptual connections between torture and profession? Exploring this question requires exploring at least two others. Before we can work out the conceptual connections between profession and torture, we must have a suitable conception of both profession and torture. We seem to have several conceptions of each. So, I first identify several alternative conceptions of profession, explaining why one should be preferred over the others. Next, I do the same for torture; and then, I argue that, given the preferred conception of torture and the preferred conception of profession, there can be no profession of torturers. In the final section, I argue that deliberately torturing or aiding in torture is always unprofessional. The fact that some conceptions of profession do not yield this conclusion tells us more about the inadequacy of those conceptions than about professions.

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,221

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Torture and the military profession.Jessica Wolfendale - 2007 - New York: Palgrave-Macmillan.
Is engineering a profession everywhere?Michael Davis - 2009 - Philosophia 37 (2):211-225.
What can we learn by looking for the first code of professional ethics?Michael Davis - 2003 - Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics 24 (5):433-454.
Education, Profession and Culture: Some Conceptual Questions.David Carr - 2000 - British Journal of Educational Studies 48 (3):248 - 268.
Understanding Torture.Jeremy Wisnewski - 2010 - Edinburgh University Press.
Torturous ambivalence: Judaic struggles with torture.Jonathan K. Crane - 2011 - Journal of Religious Ethics 39 (4):598-605.
Examining the profession and the practice of business ethics.Peter J. Dean - 1997 - Journal of Business Ethics 16 (15):1637-1649.
Terrorism and torture.Fritz Allhoff - 2003 - International Journal of Applied Philosophy 17 (1):121-134.
Torturing Detainees During Interrogation.Larry May - 2005 - International Journal of Applied Philosophy 19 (2):193-208.
Just torture?Shunzo Majima - 2012 - Journal of Military Ethics 11 (2):136-148.

Analytics

Added to PP
2011-01-09

Downloads
30 (#456,882)

6 months
2 (#658,848)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Michael Davis
State University of New York at Buffalo

Citations of this work

No citations found.

Add more citations

References found in this work

No references found.

Add more references