Moral Responsibility in Politics in the Light of the Lesser Evil Ethics

Abstract

The paper deals with the specific means to avoid the negative consequences of applying of the normative logic of lesser evil which pertain to the moral responsibility of an individual. The author attempts to determine what could be a politician’s proper emotional response to any morally disagreeable actions undertaken in order to prevent a catastrophic damage. He elaborates a theoretical and pragmatic justification of such phenomena as “moral reminder” and “dirty hands” and examines the possibility to institutionalize them. The basis of the latter project is the development of the Israeli judicial practice concerning the use of moderate physical pressure during the interrogation of persons suspected of involvement in hostile terrorist activities.