Is torture permissible? Torture is an unorthodox method that has been used often during war, and it is a controversial topic whether or not torture is permissible since 9/11 (“Counterterrorism Since 9/11: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Controversial Tactics” ). The exercise of torture tends to begin with the acquisition of information to prevent opponents from initiating the attack, and there are many critics who believe that torture is permissible at least in extreme situations (“Torture and the Doctrine of Necessity”). According to a BCC survey of views on torture of prisoners conducted in October 2006, more than one in three people in nine countries believe that torture is somewhat permissible if it can save lives (“Is torture ever justified?”) . Furthermore, two ethical theories have been used in the debate over whether torture is right or wrong: deontology and utilitarianism (“Torture and the Doctrine of Necessity”). In this article I will demonstrate that Kantian theory offers a compelling argument to demonstrate the use of torture, as Bentham and Mill agree that torture is permissible in certain situations. Utilitarianism is a theory based on using moral rules to measure the amount of happiness and unhappiness to decide whether the action is considered good or bad (Birsch 77). According to Birsch, Jeremy Bentham is a philosopher who focuses his ethical theory on act utilitarianism and believes that good actions are when the amount of pleasure is greater than the amount of pain that is affected by others (Birsch 77). Furthermore, Mill believes that it is ethical to have a bad intention to do certain things with good consequences, but it is unethical to have good intentions with bad consequences (February Ethics Lesson...... middle of paper... ... Counterterrorism since 9/11: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Controversial Tactics. TheBreakThrough.Org, March 14, 2011. Retrieved March 25, 2014. Web.Birsch Douglas “Introduction to Ethical Theories: A Procedural Approach.” .Campisi, Joe. “February 18, 2014 Ethics Lecture: Utilitarianism: Introduction to Ethics, February 18, 2014. Cohan, John Alan Law Review. Volume 41, Number 3 2007. Retrieved March 25, 2014. PDF : Ethics the Hedonistic Calculus.lander.eud 2009. Retrieved March 25, 2013. Web. /philosophy.lander.edu/ethics/calculus.html>