If you could secure the happiness of the entire world...
By TinaCL
@TinaCL (429)
United States
May 20, 2007 2:37pm CST
Would you kill one innocent child if you could guarantee the happiness of the entire world? Would you sacrifice your mother if it could end all pain, suffering, disease, poverty, etc.?
It might be tempting to say yes, but then it becomes a slippery slope. It might be tempting to sacrifice one to save many, but then where do you draw the line? Ten children? Ten thousand? It's such thinking that justifies utilitarianism, communism, socialism, totalitarianism, etc. After all, according to Hitler, it was justified to kill of 6 million people in order to secure the good of his ideal society. At that point, the end doesn't justify the means.
An individual's life should be held intrinsically sacred, regardless.
1 person likes this
1 response
@smacksman (6053)
•
23 May 07
This is the classic solution in the past - got a problem? make a sacrifice to the gods. South Sea Islands, South America, Central America, they all sacrificed innocents and in Africa they still do to this day.
As it turns out, it didn't solve their problems so that is the proof.
@TinaCL (429)
• United States
30 May 07
Brilliant post!!
Hitler and Stalin could have learned a few lessons from history.
Socialism sacrifices the innocent (to a lesser extent--maybe not physically but at least in terms of quality of life). "The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent vice of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries."
@smacksman (6053)
•
30 May 07
That last quote is very good. Is that a TinaQuote or did you borrow it?
