The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - The Meaning of Pity and Mercy...what is the RIGHT thing to do?

Lomelinde · 04-22-2002, 07:14 PM

Showing mercy is not something that comes instinctively to humans; we must think about it and make a conscious decision to act on our particular sets of morals and ethics. When it comes down to life or death (and I, fortunately, have never been faced with such a situation), one is not going to not defend himself out of mercy or altruism; he is going to obey his natural impulses first and fight for his life to the death.
However, when it comes down to whether I would kill someone in cold blood simply because he is a potential hazard to society or myself, I cannot answer that, and I don't believe anyone can. Each scenario is unique, each quandary different, with consequences and choices particular to the situation. This is just my opinion, but this question is an incredibly good, albeit ultimately unanswerable one. I don't believe there is anyone who can definitely say "yes" or "no" for any and all possible future dilemmas.
Also, with regards to what Kalessin mentioned earlier, yes, LOTR is chock-full of wisdom and thought-provoking quotes, but using it as a "ethical guidebook", to quote Kalessin, is misleading and potentially harmful. Once again, these are fictional characters, in a fictional work, and heavy, real-world decisions should never be based off of fictional stories, aka the "What Would Gandalf Do?" mindset.
Great thread, and very thought-provoking. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

04-22-2002, 07:14 PM	#11
Lomelinde Haunting Spirit Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Ha! Wouldn't you like to know? Posts: 80	Showing mercy is not something that comes instinctively to humans; we must think about it and make a conscious decision to act on our particular sets of morals and ethics. When it comes down to life or death (and I, fortunately, have never been faced with such a situation), one is not going to not defend himself out of mercy or altruism; he is going to obey his natural impulses first and fight for his life to the death. However, when it comes down to whether I would kill someone in cold blood simply because he is a potential hazard to society or myself, I cannot answer that, and I don't believe anyone can. Each scenario is unique, each quandary different, with consequences and choices particular to the situation. This is just my opinion, but this question is an incredibly good, albeit ultimately unanswerable one. I don't believe there is anyone who can definitely say "yes" or "no" for any and all possible future dilemmas. Also, with regards to what Kalessin mentioned earlier, yes, LOTR is chock-full of wisdom and thought-provoking quotes, but using it as a "ethical guidebook", to quote Kalessin, is misleading and potentially harmful. Once again, these are fictional characters, in a fictional work, and heavy, real-world decisions should never be based off of fictional stories, aka the "What Would Gandalf Do?" mindset. Great thread, and very thought-provoking. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] __________________ The Dwarf breathes so loud I could've shot him in the dark, drunk, blindfolded and hanging upside down from a tree.