How do you handle evil?

[BrokenTwin]

For me the difference is intent and method. Good characters sometimes kill, but usually try their best to avoid it. They may have their back against a wall and need to choose self defense. They might pre-emptively choose to kill for the best outcome, but this should very rare and extreme. Evil characters see killing as a perfectly reasonable conflict resolution method.

Personally, I will never argue that an act of killing can be Good, but I will argue until I'm blue in the face that it can be the Lesser Evil. Like most concepts in life, morality is an attempt to define a part of the messy spectrum of reality.
[Note: I am not saying that it is useless as a conceptual model]

Sure, but then you're expanding my argument past what I said. I said, "The reason it's illegal, is that it's immoral." with "it" clearly being murder in the context of the current discussion. If you're including anything other than murder, then you've gone past the scope of my argument.

I've had to deal with people who seriously argue that law and morality are the same thing, and those were not pleasant conversations to have. Had a bit of a knee-jerk reaction when I saw that line.

 

[RuinousPowers]

Legality is a culture concept. Its on the Law/Chaos axis. I cant speak for Maxperson, but I agree that murder is always immoral. There are certain contexts in which, as a society, we accept the immoral action as legal. That doesn't make it good, its just not punished due to the context within where the action lies.

So, is the doctor who administers the lethal dose evil? Is he not evil because the killing is state sanctioned? Is only the state allowed to access the morality of killing?

 

[RuinousPowers]

I'm not. I'm saying FELONIES. Not infractions like littering or jay walking. Virtually every man and woman in the US are criminals who have committed felonies. The TV version doesn't murder felons?

The violent felons responsible for his family's death. You don't see him hunting down people committing felony insurance fraud.

 

[le Redoutable]

The violent felons responsible for his family's death. You don't see him hunting down people committing felony insurance fraud.

hunting ?
so he's Hunter ( like Kraven ) ?
what about ( sorry I whaf whaf to DnD ) Assassins and Necromancers ( lol ) ?

 

[payn]

So, is the doctor who administers the lethal dose evil?

Its an evil action, Id say the Doctor is likely neutral, and certainly lawful for participating.

Is he not evil because the killing is state sanctioned?

I'd say he is not evil because he doesn't kill on a regular indiscriminate basis. He kills within certain contexts. He is a lawful person because he follow state sanctioned murder, it has nothing to do with if he is good/neutral/evil.

Is only the state allowed to access the morality of killing?

No, I think I made that clear that the state can only effect cultural perspective, and not individual perspective. The state doesn't make it moral/immoral, they only decide which to punish and which to allow.

 

[le Redoutable]

Its an evil action, Id say the Doctor is likely neutral, and certainly lawful for participating.

I'd say he is not evil because he doesn't kill on a regular indiscriminate basis. He kills within certain contexts. He is a lawful person because he follow state sanctioned murder, it has nothing to do with if he is good/neutral/evil.

No, I think I made that clear that the state can only effect cultural perspective, and not individual perspective. The state doesn't make it moral/immoral, they only decide which to punish and which to allow.

I think fer you the only Evil beings are those who are CE ( regular indiscriminate basis )

 

[payn]

I think fer you the only Evil beings are those who are CE ( regular indiscriminate basis )

Not true, there are plenty of characters that think a lawful society is important, and that murder is perfectly fine too.

 

[le Redoutable]

eh ben,,, back to JD !

 

[le Redoutable]

Not true, there are plenty of characters that think a lawful society is important, and that murder is perfectly fine too.

or else, to what bounds exist LE people ?

 

[Umbran]

The reason it's illegal, is that it's immoral. Murder is immoral, regardless of reason.

Except, the reason for killing someone is generally part of the definition of "murder".