OOTS 595 up

[Slife]

Killing an evil person does not make one good. Killing with good intentions does not make the act good.

What determines morality but intentions?

Chaos theory dictates that you can never find the end of consequences for your actions. The weather is a chaotic system. Your actions since birth create enough of a cumulative difference in the weather such that Hurricane Katrina wouldn't have happened if you hadn't been born.

Ugh... on second thought, ignore that. I'm not wanting to proceed with the derailing of the thread.

Meh. Builder strip.

Just kidding! 'Bout time we get away from these 3rd and 4th tier subplots and get back to the band back together!

Now wasn't there something about a lich and a gate, and a leader to resurrect?

What gate?

 

[Deset Gled]

I view V's actions as firmly Chaotic, most-likely Good. Screw the law; just make sure the bad guy can't harm anyone else.

You could almost argue that the killing was lawful. Kubota just explained that there is no possible way for him to get a fair trial - it would be corrupted with lies and a prejudiced court. Therefore, the only way to actually bring him to justice would be to work outside of the existing court system. For example, some neutral, outside arbitrator could listen to the real facts and judge him accordingly. In a way, that is what V did - Judge Dredd style law.

Of course, this arguement really works best if V had complete information about Kubota, and was acting as a neutral party (thinking that the trial would be corrupt, not that it would just take too long). I don't think either of these could be completely true.

The point is, though, that V's acts were not intent on completely getting around the law, they were only making things more expedient. For that reason, I cannot consider shkler actions to be truly chaotic, nor completely lawful. I think they were smack dab in the middle of neutral - on that axis. I'll leave the arguement of good vs. evil to others.

 

[Celtavian]

re

This week's strip made me chuckle. I loved seeing that pompous ass villain get disintegrated and blown away. Great strip.

Not to get overly political, but I'd love to have V around for dealing with serial killers and child murderers. Such a fitting end for such scum.

 

[Voadam]

You could almost argue that the killing was lawful. Kubota just explained that there is no possible way for him to get a fair trial - it would be corrupted with lies and a prejudiced court. Therefore, the only way to actually bring him to justice would be to work outside of the existing court system. For example, some neutral, outside arbitrator could listen to the real facts and judge him accordingly. In a way, that is what V did - Judge Dredd style law.

Eh, no.

To have a V judge Dredd execution be lawful, you need a law authorizing V to commit judge Dredd executions. It is not lawful for V to kill even condemned criminals on V's own initiative.

That is if you mean lawful in the sense of an act that does not violate the law.

If however (as I read your statement a second time with a different possible interpretation) you mean the term lawful in terms of D&D alignment then I think the D&D concept is wide enough to encompass such an argument about devotion to vigilante justice as an example of an action that can be considered lawful.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Needless to say, Wulf Ratbane approves.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

What determines morality but intentions?

Typically, morality is found in either the intentions (did you mean to do good?), the consequences (were the results good?), or in the act itself (even if it is done with good intentions and to achieve a good end, you could say taking a life is still evil). I think you knew that, though.

Chaos theory dictates that you can never find the end of consequences for your actions. The weather is a chaotic system. Your actions since birth create enough of a cumulative difference in the weather such that Hurricane Katrina wouldn't have happened if you hadn't been born.

And we can muddy up your precious "intent," as well. Once you get into the psychology of it all, how do you know for sure what you intended? There's always subconscious desires, battles between the id, ego, and superego, and so on. Think that's a load of fecal matter? Well, so do I about chaos theory wrecking ethical consequentialism.

Ugh... on second thought, ignore that. I'm not wanting to proceed with the derailing of the thread.

Agreed.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

Needless to say, Wulf Ratbane approves.

How can you possibly approve? There's nothing left to make the pile of dead bad guys with!!

 

[Greylock]

Ok, nobody's going to believe me because I didn't post about it, but I had totally called this, down to the choice of spell (well, not gust of wind):

– long prospective trial with devious NPC
– V is on no sleep
– V is basically neutral, alignment-wise
– V does not suffer fools gladly

The only thing I imagined was, Hinjo would be all set to cart Kubota off for the proper trial and that's when V would up and disintegrate him, right in front of all of the paladins.

But, it's not on record. Nobody will believe me. It's all in my mind, man! I guess that's all I need.

I believe you, Imp. Completely. In fact, just the other day I was thinking of telling a buddy of mine that you had called it, but decided to let it go. Man, I really wish I'd told him now, because that would TOTALLY blow everyone's mind.

 

[Cadfan]

I predicted that V would intercept Kubuto while he was rowing away, and blast him. Then I withdrew my prediction when Elan jumped after Kubuto, and Kubuto surrendered. So I came really, really, really close to calling it, and failed.

 

[Nifft]

That was awesome.

Cheers, -- N