(no subject)

[jackofallgeeks]

If Ethics is your thing (I'm thinking notably of Daniel and Nifer), I'd be facinated to know what your thoughts on These are.

Comments

Just a couple of points.

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

1. The man was responsible for the deaths of the people he forced off the boat; whether he would have been responsible if other choices were made is irrelevant. I even think that having no good choices is irrelevant: he still did what he did. On top of that, the action he made, while well reasoned, was made as an individual against the expressed will of the others; perhaps he would be less accountable if all in the boat had agreed to an action (and perhapse not), but that's not the question posed.

2. One can not predict the future, and ought not made decisions based on such unpredictable measures. Perhapse he kills another man anyways, regardless of you pulling the chair or not; now you've killed your son for no good at all. It is better to act as an individual to the best you can; whether this man kills more people is not under your control.

[bsgnome.livejournal.com]

2. I'm drawing here a connection between the hypothetical "me" and an executioner. The executioner, who acts on the command of a just authority, obtains no responsibility for his action of execution--e.g. a man is condemned to death, the executioner need not worry about whether or not the man is guilty, because the man's blood is not technically on his hands, but those of the one in authority.

In retrospect, though, I'm not exactly sure this connection can be drawn. The question comes to whether or not the authority an opposing force has over POWs is just, and then whether this authority's jurisdiction extends to capital punishment.