Question of Ethics
The Question: Is it ethical to break the law in order to solve a societal problem . . . . .
The answer has no simple solution. I suppose it depends on the severity of the issue. For example if and kid too young to drive steals his father's car (breaking the law) in order to prevent him from leaving home drunk ( also illegal and could result in the death his father and everyone else) few people would reprimand the kid for it.
However if it's a question of the same boy taking a car and mowing down a particularly nasty teacher because he harasses fellow students . . . that's going beyond too far. That's a violation of a cardinal sin - murder.
We've been taught all our lives however that even these extremes are exceptable if the crime was bad enough. For example many of us grew hearing stories like Wolf and Seven Kids In the story the hungry wolf eats the goat mother's kids. She in turn puts the wolf through a horrible agonizing death. The lesson? Don't talk to strangers? or Don't go to sleep after eating someone's kids because they will find you.
In my opinion there is no question that such behavior is wrong. By their very nature is unethical. However, if the conditions are right unethical behavior should be forgivable.
*Sure it is unethical for a boy to steal a car. But his reason behind it was to save the life of his father, and anyone else that might cross his path which is totally forgivable.
* It is not forgivable however for him to commit murder just because the teacher hurt someone else feelings.
Forgiveness, unlike ethics, is relative.
Is it forgivable for Mama Goat to ruthlessly torment the wolf that went through such elaborate means to eat her offspring? To everyone else afraid of the wolf yes it is forgivable. But to the wolf's family and friends . . . other pack mates . . . or even other predators in their anthropomorphic world it is not at all.
Here is where I agree with Kant's "Categorical Imperative".
"Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law."
If you want a world where children are bold enough to stand up and take action against the wild irrational actions of their intoxicated parents . . . then you can judge the the child's actions as forgivible.
The same can be applied to a world where impolite teachers will fear the students and be unable to teach or venture into parking lots; and a world where enraged mothers can seek their own crude forms of justice against those who harm their children. And if that world doesn't sound so bad just imagine what 'soccer moms' in such a world world would be like.
Found picture at: http://www.impactlab.com/page/74/?dem_action=view&dem_poll_id=19
The answer has no simple solution. I suppose it depends on the severity of the issue. For example if and kid too young to drive steals his father's car (breaking the law) in order to prevent him from leaving home drunk ( also illegal and could result in the death his father and everyone else) few people would reprimand the kid for it.
However if it's a question of the same boy taking a car and mowing down a particularly nasty teacher because he harasses fellow students . . . that's going beyond too far. That's a violation of a cardinal sin - murder.
We've been taught all our lives however that even these extremes are exceptable if the crime was bad enough. For example many of us grew hearing stories like Wolf and Seven Kids In the story the hungry wolf eats the goat mother's kids. She in turn puts the wolf through a horrible agonizing death. The lesson? Don't talk to strangers? or Don't go to sleep after eating someone's kids because they will find you.
In my opinion there is no question that such behavior is wrong. By their very nature is unethical. However, if the conditions are right unethical behavior should be forgivable.
*Sure it is unethical for a boy to steal a car. But his reason behind it was to save the life of his father, and anyone else that might cross his path which is totally forgivable.
* It is not forgivable however for him to commit murder just because the teacher hurt someone else feelings.
Forgiveness, unlike ethics, is relative.
Is it forgivable for Mama Goat to ruthlessly torment the wolf that went through such elaborate means to eat her offspring? To everyone else afraid of the wolf yes it is forgivable. But to the wolf's family and friends . . . other pack mates . . . or even other predators in their anthropomorphic world it is not at all.
Here is where I agree with Kant's "Categorical Imperative".
"Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law."
If you want a world where children are bold enough to stand up and take action against the wild irrational actions of their intoxicated parents . . . then you can judge the the child's actions as forgivible.
The same can be applied to a world where impolite teachers will fear the students and be unable to teach or venture into parking lots; and a world where enraged mothers can seek their own crude forms of justice against those who harm their children. And if that world doesn't sound so bad just imagine what 'soccer moms' in such a world world would be like.
Found picture at: http://www.impactlab.com/page/74/?dem_action=view&dem_poll_id=19