The Meaning of Pity and Mercy...what is the RIGHT thing to do?

[Jessica Jade]

Wow- i'm really glad i started this thread!Thank you everyone for your posts, and keep it up! Your comments are very very much appreciated- [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

++Disclaimer++ (before i begin)
I am sort of playing devil's advocate here, for the sake of being thorough and considering every possible aspect of this discussion. So, just know that I don't necessarily agree with ALL of the following arguments. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

I believe that in do-or-die situations you don't act by reason. You act by instinct. If someone is about to kill you, then instinctive self defense will come into play.

So, are you saying that in moments of ultimate emotional turmoil, such as intense fear, humans are not to be held accountable for their actions? Say you hurt someone, but "It doesn't count, because i couldn't help it, i did it on impulse." Should you still be held accountable for what you did?People are supposedly responsible for what they do at all times, right? Also, consider this...does the end justify the means? Say that you kill someone either to save yourself, or to prevent them from hurting others in the future. Does the fact that you killed for a good cause justify the fact that you have taken away a human life? Furthermore, if you kill someone to save yourself, are you not implying that your life is worth more than theirs is, because you should live and they should die? And that brings me back to my first question...do we, as humans who are inherently flawed, do we have the right to judge that? Or does only God posess the right to decide who should have life?

Of course, as it has been mentioned before, in situations like these, you will act not by what you believe but by what you have lived in your everyday life. (This was Aristotle's belief too- that virtue can only be acquired if practiced and lived.) Since we have been taught to defend ourselves when attacked, or even kill if necessary, it would be impossible for us to do otherwise, right? So...are we teaching the wrong things? Or does it not make a difference anyway, since humans will always have the instinct to defend themselves at all costs? And does the fact that you did something bad due to instinct make your actions excusable? After all, there are still people who are convicted, tried, and go to jail for second-degree murder.

As for the What Would Gandalf Do--it's not so much of what would he actually do...yes, he IS fictional, and we shouln't use LOTR as an ethical guidebook. But maybe the WWGD means, what would a being so virtuous as Gandalf do? Gandalf is like a paragon of virtue, like Jesus. In a sticky situation, by asking ourselves what a creature of ultimate virtue would do, might help us make a decision and decide what is right However, we must be realistic and know that we, as humans cannot hope to acquire the level of compassion/virtue/wisdom that (people) like Gandalf and Jesus posessed.

It [pity] signifies an inequality and inferiority, and is seen as patronising and disempowering.

Very true--when you pity someone, you are implying that their circumstances must be worse than yours. Pity was seen as virtuous in Tolkien's age, whereas Mercy means reducing the suffering of another (as Kalessin said), and now i realize that pity is not the same as mercy.

Is mercy a virtue? If it is, that means that it is always right to show mercy. I suppose it does represent moral power (like Kalessin said before)...and doing the right thing is not always easy. Say you were in a heated argument with someone, and you were both very angry, and that person hit you...which would be harder, to hit them back, or to be mature and tell yourself, "I will not stoop to their level. I have more self-control and temperance. I will not let my wrath get the better of me. I will simply walk away."? The answer of course, is obvious- walking away from the situation and resiting the urge to sink to their level would be right, but not easy. Perhaps the same applies for killing or hurting someone...it's harder to show mercy and spare them when you believe that they deserve death or pain than it is just to strike.

Child of 7th Age--interesting post. IS it possible for we humans to show the kind of mercy like Frodo did? Does anybody have that ability to "sense that light", or posess that level of insight?