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Originally posted by Spanky
Moral imperatives can often be classified as the lesser of two evils.
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True.
Quote:
Originally posted by Spanky
I believe that most people who study and discuss epistemology would agree that there is no such thing as an immoral imperative (hi SAM). Morality concerns what actions ones should or should not take, and whether such actions are just or unjust. One should always act morally. By definition, if an act is imperative, it must be just and moral. That is why the idea that in order to do the right thing you must do an immoral act is, I think, is an absurd position. An immoral imperative is an oxymoron.
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This sounds reasonable and may be correct as a matter of definitions. I would ask a close relative with an advanced degree in such matters, but that isn't the topic I want to discuss during our Christmas gathering.
I guess then that the key dispute then is over what/when/if torture is an "imperative." In the discussions here, I think most people have signed onto the idea (in one way or another) that torture would be an imperative in the mythical "ticking time bomb" scenario.
Its more general application poses big problems however -- i.e. if other means of interrogation work, even if more slowly and perhaps less effectively, when do you switch over to torture (if at all) in the absence of certain knowledge of an imminent threat? And how certain must you be? And what happens when you're wrong, which you will be sometimes?
Quote:
Originally posted by Spanky
The times when torturing the innocent is moral is an extremely rare occurrence, but sometimes it might be a moral imperative. If the only way to save a plane load of children was to torture an innocent child, then I would say you would have to torture the innocent child.
However, I can't imagine this scenario ever arising.
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Ehhh -- In the spirit of the season, lets just agree that we cannot imagine a scenario arising in which it is a moral imperative to torture innocent people. There! We have reached agreement. Feliz Navidad.
S_A_M
