This class strives to philosophically explore issues of human rights, national security, and torture, by focusing on the U.S. military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Students will learn about the U.S.’s defense strategies prior to and following 9/11. We will examine factors that prompted the U.S. to enter the “War on Terror.” Students will read about the treatment of detainees from primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. Analyses will include narratives from detainees, intermediaries, and objective scholars, as well as legal text, such as the Yoo/Bybee Memo. The class will also closely examine theories associated with the use of torture, and consequences of U.S. detention and interrogation practices. Students will also critically examine “lawfare,” that is, the legality of the Bush administration’s militarized actions, as well as the international community’s perception of U.S. conduct and disregard for human rights. We will also examine the role of race, religion, implicit bias, and law in international politics and government action. Ethical theories by Hobbes, Mills, and Kant in particular, will be contrasted with each of the readings and focus of events that have occurred in Guantanamo Bay. Students are encouraged to question and grapple with the ethics and logic that are used to validate torture.