Philosophy 2083F/G Chapter Notes -Torture Memos, Extraordinary Rendition, Terrorist Threats

• School: Western University
• Department: Philosophy
• Course: Philosophy 2083F/G
• Professor: Frank Cameron

Document Summary

The countries of the developed west are fighting a war on terror. That public attention to terrorism serves important domestic constituencies. Public attention to terrorism also serves the interests of politicians, especially incumbents. Many western government policies have been marketed as anti-terror measures. Severe violations of basic human rights as necessary responses to terrorist threats. Political power depends on three components: military might, economic might and international moral standing. I think an important part of the explanation is our moral judgment that these terrorist attacks are exceptionally heinous. Moral theorizing, we are often faced with moral questions or decisions that are difficult to resolve. Rawls calls reflective equilibrium our most firmly held convictions, are the standard by which we judge difficult questions. That what makes these attacks presumptively wrong is that, foreseen by the agent, they harm and even kill innocent people.