Quote:Good. You've demonstrated you can criticize. So my criterion is useless. Fine, what do you have to propose that is better?There isn't going to be a hard and fast definition, but I think the UN guidelines look pretty good to me.
Quote:Any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions.The important bits being "severe", "physical or mental", and "intentionally". Treating someone shabbily is not torture. Imprisonment, at least in its ordinary form, is not torture, but something like the Oubliette is, especially over long periods. Ordinary labour is not torture, but forced exertion to the point of physical damage (death march) is. Missing the occasional meal or not sleeping the occasional night is not torture, but chronic or severe deprivation of food or sleep is. Discomfort is not torture, but severe pain is. Some level of fear is inevitable, but the intentional infliction of acute terror, especially when repeated, is torture. Extreme humiliation is a grey area, but should be avoided by civilized nations on the basis of the disturbing effect it has on those doing the humiliation.
-Jester