I was rather stunned to see that Jane Mayer’s new book is reporting that Prof. Martin Seligman helped the U.S. government design its torture regimen. The administration’s torture architects used Seligman’s research on “learned helplessness” to craft their approaches, according to some accounts of Mayer’s book.
This struck us as odd. Beliefnet readers are more familiar with Seligman as the advocate of “positive psychology,” which studies how positive traits like optimism and strength of character help people thrive and prevent mental illness. Here’s our interview with him a few years back on how to train yourself to have an optimistic outlook (waterboarding was not one of the tips).
So my Beliefnet colleague Wendy Schuman contacted Seligman to get his reaction to the reports. He forwarded us this letter he has sent to friends:
July 14, 2008
The allegation that I “provided assistance in the process” of torture is completely false.
I gave a three hour lecture sponsored by SERE (the Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape branch of the American armed forces) at the San Diego Naval Base in May 2002. My topic was how American troops and American personnel could use what is known about learned helplessness and related findings to resist torture and evade successful interrogation by their captors.
I was told then that since I was (and am) a civilian with no security clearance that they could not discuss American methods of interrogation with me. I have not had contact with SERE since that meeting. I have not worked under government contract (or any other contract) on any aspect of interrogation or any aspect of torture. Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Jessen were present in the audience of about 50 others at my speech, and that was, to the best of my knowledge, the sum total of my “assisting them in the process.”
I have had no contact at all with the American Psychological Association about their relevant policies.
As of today, I have not seen Jane Mayer’s book, only the blogs. If necessary, I will comment further on its contents.
Most importantly, I strongly disapprove of torture and have never and would never provide assistance in its process.
Martin Seligman
posted July 19, 2008 at 2:06 pm
I have only just been informed of this accusation. I have Mayer’s book on audio on my table to listen to shortly. From the public data available, it would appear that Dr. Seligman became an unwitting pawn in the hands of those in our government who would twist any data or theory so that they can use it for their own ends—torture in this case. In the future, there can be no innocent participation. One needs to be up to date on the sordid history of our own government and take their head out of the clouds. This government, and not just that of Bush, has been tainted since WW II. Read Klein’s Shock Doctrine for a thorough and well documented account. Then, do not tell me that you are innocent if you give them information that they can twist.