>> mentioned about the Char-Un for "going overboard" and raping other
>than in
>> the aftermath of a battle. Basically its "Okay to kill and rape"
>in the
>> heat of battle but wrong to do them as a hobby.
>I think rape is inherently dehumanising and pointless,
>and therefore moraly corrupting whatever the circumstances.
I agree completely. I think what I really meant is that there's a point in many cultures where it's acceptable in certain situations only because you can make amends for the act afterwards. It's definitely a bad act no matter what, the degree to which it's "acceptable" or ignored depends on the culture. The degree of acceptance varies widely. I'd say it's probably completely out in Esrolian and Heortling society no matter what the circumstances.
Killing people taints you but most societies will have mechanisms where you
can cleanse yourself afterwards IF the killing was done in a society
approved situation and manner. There will be people who go overboard in any
act though and you go from being someone doing your job to a murderous beast
with no societal protection.
A progression among the Orlanthi would be:
Joe Orlanthi - Weaponthane - Uroxi - Gagarthi - Urain
With Joe Orlanthi being someone to whom killing was bad all the way up to Urain followers who kill without compunction and don't need excuses like being berserk.
>> I have real problems with torture since it's inherently a useless
practise.
>It is a tricky one.
>> ...Like any act there's probably a line to cross
>> from a necessary evil to a real evil and it's probably the feelings
>people
>> get from committing the act and the circumstances.
>To my mind, it's the degree of dissociation of the torturer from the
>victim as a moral being.
Which is better though someone who tortures and feels bad about it or someone who does it mechanically and doesn't even think about it? I think you're answer would be the first. That would make professional torturers (and enthusiastic amateurs) equally bad which I would agree with. I don't have a problem with a good (as in morality wise) executioner but I do with a good torturer.
Oliver
Powered by hypermail