ISSN: 1734-9923 eISSN: 2300-7621 OAI
DOI: 10.18276/aie.2026.74-03
Issue archive /
74 (2026)
The Shattering of Subjectivity. Reflections on Torture and Human Suffering
| Authors: |
Adriana
Mickiewicz
Wydział Humanistyczny Uniwersytet Jana Długosza w Częstochowie |
| Keywords: | violence torture phenomenology subjectivity body suffering |
| Whole issue publication date: | 2026 |
| Page range: | 23 (51-73) |
Abstract
In this article, I undertake an analysis of torture from a phenomenological perspective. In the first part of the paper, I analyze the UN definition of torture. Against this background, I show that the legal understanding of torture relies on vague and undefined concepts of severe pain and suffering. This leads me to a phenomenological investigation into the question: What does the suffering of a tortured person consist of? In the second part, I discuss the shattering of subjectivity as the main source of the victim’s pain. In conclusion, I aim to strengthen the argument against the use of torture.
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