Is purposeless torture moral?

What about people who do like being tortured? By the standards of "do unto others," does that not mean that it would be most morally correct for such people to torture others? After all, if they want it for themselves, then surely it must be moral for them to do to others!The question isn't rhetorical, such people do really exist.For perhaps a more tame version of the same basic dilemma...imagine two people, A and B. A likes massages; B does not. Would it be morally desirable for A to give B a massage, since A likes them, even though B does not?I think a more appropriate rule than "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" would be "consider the preferences of others as you would like to have your preferences considered by them." Not all of us would have others treat us in exactly the same fashion.

I think you have little conception of what some people actually find arousing. Yes, there are the "fuzzy handcuff" people who dabble in BDSM, but they're hardly the extent...and I very much would not consider the harsher forms of SM to be a "slap and tickle." There are individuals who do get off on causing and receiving very real, harsh pain, and it could only ever be defined as torture. Some of them even use implements from the Inquisition.Though I agree that the practitioners don't typically find it to be immoral, since all participants are (supposed to be) consenting adults. And that being the case, I don't find it to be immoral either. I think the infliction of suffering on a non-consenting individual is immoral, but free, informed, adult consent is the difference.But that was the crux of my question to you - is the simple instruction to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" sufficient? Clearly not, given that people's actual desires are widely varied, and one person may desire to be treated in such a way that another person would find to be revolting or even criminal. And that's what I was getting at. A better form of the "golden rule" is to "consider the preferences of others as you would like your preferences to be considered." The historical version encourages the infliction of one's own desires onto others who may or may not appreciate it. By considering each other's preferences rather than simply projecting our own, we can preserve greater liberty for everyone.