Could you kill?
Seen a flying pig? Randomly discovered something spam worthy? Let it all out here to your heart's content.
| Announcements | Posted on | |
|---|---|---|
| Important: please read these guidelines before posting about exams on The Student Room | 28-04-2013 | |
-
- Reputation:
- Thread Starter
- Benevolent Member
- Location: London
- Posts: 835
Could you kill?If murder was not illegal, do you think you could/would kill someone? For instance, let's say you were confronted by someone you've despised all your life, has exploited you etc. etc. Removing the aspect of legality, do you still think you'd have a modern morality dictating your actions, or do you think it would be absent in the absence of law?
-
- Reputation:
- Benevolent Member
- Posts: 830
Re: Could you kill?Adherence to a religion doesn't equate to having morals, and vice-versa. I doubt there's even much of a correlation.(Original post by Mehmoodd)
it depends.
If religion still existed, then the majority of people still wouldn't. -
- Reputation:
- Peer Of The TSR Realm
- Posts: 1,761
Re: Could you kill?you say that because we've grown up to believe taking a human being's life is acceptable only to save another life. If murder had never been illegal I highly doubt you'd have the same opinion- killing would just be a normal part of society.(Original post by tite23)
Only if my own life or another's was in danger, and even then, only if there was absolutely NO other alternative. -
- Reputation:
- Overlord in Training
- Posts: 2,392
Re: Could you kill?The best way of looking at it is to look at other societies where life is less valued. There are several headhunting tribes where you take a life at the birth of a child, at becoming a man, at getting married etc, for no reason other than tradition, and people brought up like that rarely have a problem with it.
On the other hand, if murder was suddenly legalised now (possibly what you were asking about), I think the majority of people, including me, couldn't kill. And if they could they would be forcing themselves not to think about the pain and loss they were causing, rather than about themselves, as it should be regardless of puishment.
I think morals are subjective, and I don't believe in God, but I'm still glad we have a moral system and I'm happy to stick by it because pain is not subjective
-
- Reputation:
- Exalted and Worshipped Member
Re: Could you kill?You don't think, but you are not certain. Therefore there is doubt, which if seized upon - in the right circumstances i.e. anger, provoked attack, revenge for death of a relative etc. - Then I'm fairly sure you would.(Original post by screenager2004)
No, I don't think I could. I feel guilty leaving a lightbulb turned on or stepping on a snail, I wouldn't be able to handle killing a human being.
I think this crap about people not being able to kill is just an over exaggeration of the superego in that, you want to have the moral high ground (supposing such a thing exists). Also, one thing that baffles me is
people say, they couldn't kill - but they're okay with people watching others do it? I bet the majority of you were in favour of the so called " iraq and afghanistan war " (even though, neither of such things existed, ... no, stop your fairy tale, they didn't.)
So essentially, you're saying: Killing is okay... aslong as I don't participate in it. Taken to the extreme, it's just the exclusion of obscenity... thus super ego.
Me? I'm fairly sure I could commit, to quote Bill Hicks "unbiased genocide against humanity", ... there are thousands of banal morons that should die (but universal rights, blah blah blah).
