ipl-logo

Rhetorical Analysis: The Case For Torture By Michael Levin

918 Words4 Pages

In the reading “The Case for Torture” written by Michael Levin, and published on the June 7th, 1982 edition of Newsweek. Levin argues in favor of torture as an acceptable way of obtaining information when innocent lives are at stake. Outlining three separate scenarios devised to make the reader reconsider the stance on torturer in order to protect the interest of those in the western area. The strength of this text is that the absence of reasoning does not strike the reader; he is overcome by Levin’s ability to break ethical decisions down to black and white. Levin begins with describing torture as “morally mandatory”. Levin conveys his point of view to his readers under the form of three different scenarios in which torture should …show more content…

This point introduces his following argument about the lack of constitutionality in torturing. His answer casts aside the framework of American democracy, the Constitution that states in the fourteenth amendment reads, “nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws”. Levin continues directly speaking to his audience claiming that you would be holding the lives of millions in your hands and it is you duty “to apply the electrodes” to save them. This plea to emotions has the same purpose as the rhetorical questions. Levin is searching to cloud the reader’s …show more content…

Levin says that terrorists lose their civil rights then they “knowingly” initiate their actions. Their lack of civility means that we can reciprocate in an uncivilized manner. The following paragraph speaks of two sides: “we” and “them”, and that there is a distinction that can be made on when it is acceptable to use torture. Levin believes that despite disregarding the constitution, or the foundation of United States’ democracy, we will not “lose” our way and solely preserve order. Levin last words warn American’s that terrorism is lingering in the future and that torture will be the only way to save “tens of thousands of

Show More
Related

Summary Of The Ticking Is The Bomb By Nick Flynn

1661 Words | 7 Pages

Nick Flynn spends a large majority of his memoir, The Ticking is the Bomb, reflecting on both the Abu Ghraib prison scandal of 2004-2005 and his impending fatherhood, seemingly placing two incompatible ideas side by side. At first glance, the memoir seems disjointed and causes the reader to question why Flynn would choose to write about parenthood alongside depictions of torture. Close examination of the text, however, reveals Flynn’s complex and nuanced worldview. Flynn finds torture to be reprehensible, and a significant portion of the memoir is devoted to coming to terms with the fact that he had shaken hands with known torture-advocate Sam Harris. Perhaps he does not wish to raise his daughter in a world where scandals like Abu Ghraib

Read More

Summary Of Torture's Terrible Toll By John Mccain

848 Words | 4 Pages

Dershowitz, he is the author of the essay "The Case for Torture Warrants". Dershowitz is more in favor of torture than Young and McCain. He believes that an authority figure should make the decision to torture and only torture if a warrant is issued. He also believes in non-lethal torture that makes people uncomfortable but does not harm the individual. In his essay, he gives the example of the Israeli security service torturing a suspected terrorist by placing a "smelly sack over his head and shake him violently" (Dershowitz 687).

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of Torture's Terrible Toll, By John Mccain

699 Words | 3 Pages

Mahatma Gandhi, the preeminent leader of the Indian independence movement states “You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind.” This is important because torture is brutal on the body and mind. The article “Torture’s Terrible Toll” by John McCain is more convincing then the article “The Case for Torture” by Michael Levin because McCain provides more logical reasoning, he adds his own personal experience of being a captured prisoner during the Vietnam War, and he creates an emotional bond with people around the world. Through more logical reasoning McCain Argument is more valid than Levin.

Read More

Michael Levin The Case For Torture Summary

686 Words | 3 Pages

Marzieh Ghiasi is a female Muslim college student who wrote a rebuttal to Levin 's Case for Torture where she uses logic to deconstruct his argument and prove that torture is not an acceptable practice. Both of their papers are good arguments and have great points to support them, but ultimately, I would say that Levin’s argument on torture being morally acceptable is the better argument. Levin uses many examples and devices to fill his article with Pathos as Ghiasi has a Logos approach but doesn’t have very many devices throughout her article to support her argument. Levin uses many hyperbolic situations that he uses to explain when and why torture would be acceptable.

Read More

Heymann's Expository Essay

701 Words | 3 Pages

After examining the article, heymann’s use of Pathos should be seen as effective at persuading his audience because of how he uses positive and negative emotions, writes clearly and applies vivid details. Heymann begins his article by clearly laying out his emotional standpoint. He states, “Authorizing torture is a bad and dangerous idea that can easily be made to sound plausible.” This quote shows Pathos well in that he is being very clear about his subject matter.

Read More

Difference Between Directional Selection And Disruptive Selection

243 Words | 1 Pages

Directional selection and disruptive selection are two of the three types of natural selection. Although both of them result in a population adapting to biotic and abiotic environments, they differ in many ways. Directional selection occurs when one extreme phenotype is favored over the other phenotypes, whereas disruptive selection occurs when two or more phenotypes are favored over the others. Another difference is that disruptive selection favors polymorphism and directional selection causes species to evolve over time and leads to the extinction of those lacking the phenotypes causing the distribution curve to shift.

Read More

Techniques Used In Michael Levin's The Case For Torture

515 Words | 3 Pages

In Michael Levin’s “The Case for Torture”, he uses many cases of emotional appeal to persuade the reader that torture is necessary in extreme cases. There are many terms/statements that stick with the reader throughout the essay so that they will have more attachment to what is being said. Levin is particularly leaning to an audience based in the United States because he uses an allusion to reference an event that happened within the states and will better relate to the people that were impacted by it. The emotional appeals used in this essay are used for the purpose of persuading the reader to agree that in extreme instances torture is necessary and the United States should begin considering it as a tactic for future cases of extremity. One major eye catching factor of this essay is the repetitive use of words that imply certain stigmas.

Read More

Torture By Uwe Steinhoff: Article Analysis

1573 Words | 7 Pages

I feel as if the pain that a criminal would feel from being tortured, without any moral or ethical considerations, is worth it if it saves a life that would otherwise be lost. One response to the Dirty Case is that interrogative torture, such as the technique used by the officer on the kidnapper, is not effective. Steinhoff argues that this is incorrect because sometimes the torturer does get what he is looking for as in the Dirty Harry case. To further defend against this response, Stein a One-Million-Pains-To-One-Kill-Gun argument. With this argument, essentially a person is being shot at by an aggressor and is eventually going to be hit unless they were to fire a gun with a 1 in 1 million chance of immediately stunning the aggressor to avoid being killed.

Read More

Analysis Of Christopher Hitchens 'Believe Me, Its Torture'

943 Words | 4 Pages

Mr. Nance has played a part in the attacks of al Qaeda since the early 1990s and Hitchens states the many points that Mr. Nance makes to persuade anyone to believe waterboarding is torture. The author brings in special forces to argue that waterboarding is a punishment used for special forces not U.S. citizens. Accordingly, Hitchens demonstrates imagery, metaphors, and tone to persuade the audience waterboarding is indeed

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis: The Case For Torture By Michael Levin

971 Words | 4 Pages

Levin provides life threatening situations to speak out to those who are more strongly opinionated. In this instance Levin states that a terrorist has placed a bomb on an Island and is about to detonate it. The only way to prevent the detonation of the device is adherence to the demands that the terrorist provides (Levin 359). While analyzing the viewpoint and the tone of the writer, it is clear that he is afraid failure to follow the demands of the criminal would lead to the loss of many lives. He affirms that in his personal beliefs this case falls under the jurisdiction to torture such criminals, since it seems to be the only way to save the lives of the innocent.

Read More

Cruel And Unusual Rhetoric Essay

1245 Words | 5 Pages

Cruel and Unusual Rhetoric The article, Cruel and Unusual Punishment: The Shame of Three Strikes Laws, by Matt Taibbi, emphasizes while at the same time, educating the audience about the “Frankenstein- like monster that is mandatory- minimum sentencing”. The author goes about this in a quirky way to say the least. From overly detailed and heavily sourced paragraphs, to a couple of grammatical errors. Similarly, the loss of tone and occasionally, focus in the article.

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of Torture Myth '

1050 Words | 5 Pages

Applebaum has plenty of evidence to back up her claim that physical torture is not effective, and there are many other ways to obtain information. While the fear-encouraging and questioning elements are potent to many who are afraid of terror committed against them, but when the overwhelming sentiment of Levin’s argument is being compared to the logic and ethical points of Applebaum it is clear to see the superiority of her argument. Although Levin would advocate for physical torture in extreme situations, one must expect extreme consequences. Physical torture is rarely effective, violates rights, and damages a whole nation’s credibility. This is why physical torture should not be

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis: The Case For Torture By Michael Levin

742 Words | 3 Pages

After questioning readers’ morals in an accusative manner, the writer answers his own question by suggesting that the only ethical resolution to the dilemma is to torture the terrorist, leading readers to believe that the writer has values similar as them, as torturing one is far more moral than letting millions die. In the following sentence, Levin uses a first person and second person point of view to persuade readers to let go of bias and listen to his arguments. By using two informal points of view, first person and second person, Levin sets readers up so that by discarding their previous beliefs about torture, they are more susceptible to Levin’s persuasive arguments and ultimately more likely to agree with his opinions. Later on near the end of his essay, Levin uses an informal and formal tone to persuade readers that terrorists renounce their rights and that society should stop them by whatever means necessary, including torture. Distinguishing terrorists from their victims, Levin implicitly states his opinion on the argument of whether terrorists have rights,

Read More

Terrorism: A Critique Of Excuses

1055 Words | 5 Pages

Dershowitz argues that there are two ways to deal with a ticking bomb terrorist, besides doing nothing and letting innocent people die. These options include continuing to torture behind closed door or to utilize torture and make this information open to the

Read More

Analysis Of Ghosts Of Abu Ghraib By Rory Kennedy

717 Words | 3 Pages

The United States invasion of Iraq in 2003 was dubbed Operation Iraqi Freedom by US Forces, but it seemed like freedom was the last thing on their minds. Abu Ghraib prison was an occupied Iraqi prison where the US Army held mass incarcerations and sponsored inmate torture. 2007 marked the year that a documentary titled “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib” was produced by HBO and directed by Rory Kennedy. This documentary showed the abuses and injustices inured to the Iraqi prisoners at the hands of the United States Soldiers. Although the guards at Abu Ghraib Prison Complex had personal reservations against the treatment of the prisoners, they were manipulated into authoritarianism by their overzealous obedience.

Read More

More about Rhetorical Analysis: The Case For Torture By Michael Levin

Related Topics

Open Document