Is Jack Bauer LG?

[delericho]

I didn't see this episode, so I'm taking it out of context, but suppose for instance, the woman's husband had information of the whereabouts of a nuclear bomb hidden somewhere in Yankee Stadium during game 7 of the playoffs against Boston.

You're not too far off the mark.

Not getting that information because of your "morals" is an evil act.

Not true. Setting off the bomb is an evil act. Not acting to stop it is Neutral. Shooting the woman was clearly an Evil act. It was necessary, but still Evil.

By the lawful (the good of the many) standpoint, he is justified in shooting her, her kids, her cat, and her neighbor's goat if it will stop the above catastrophe, whether directly or indirectly.

"The good of the many" is definately a Lawful Evil way of thinking. That said, Jack has a habit of disregarding authority, breaking orders, and general insubordination. A character who acts lawful some of the time and chaotic at others isn't lawful.

 

[loki44]

Jack Bauer is Lawful Evil.

This actually makes some sense.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

"The good of the many" is definately a Lawful Evil way of thinking. That said, Jack has a habit of disregarding authority, breaking orders, and general insubordination. A character who acts lawful some of the time and chaotic at others isn't lawful.

I think habit is not entirely correct, that would indicate chaotic.
I think neutral in regard to law is correct.
He is breaking the law and ignoring authority if he has to do it. But he always tries to follow the law first, and even takes some risks (for himself and the mission) to follow the law or his orders, but sometimes he can't.

I think a similar stance can be taken towards evil/good.
He is definitely trying to achieve good ends, but he is using evil acts to do so.
But he doesn't torture because he likes it or because he doesn't care that it hurts his victims.
The incident with the terrorist that he threatened and faked to kill his son is a good example - he later explains him that he didn't actually kill him, and that he had to do it to get the information. He didn't have to do it.
Thus I think he is also neutral in regard to the evil/good-axis.

So, Jack Baur is neutral.

His "neutrality" might be compared to that of a neutral Druid. A Druids concern is Nature, Jacks is the USA. They commit the acts neccessary to protect it.

In D20 Modern terms, he probably has an alligiance to USA and his Family*.
I think that also underlines the concept of neutral - most neutral characters probably feel a loyality to their family and their country (or the general area they live in).


*Today, that might only be Kim Bauer, but I think it might even be a wider group, including people like Chloe, Ex-President Palmer, Michelle, Tony and Audry.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Is torture worse than death?

In our world, it'll get you indicted for war crimes, and it's enough to bump you up to capital murder if you do it to someone you later kill in most states. I'd take that as a global "yes."

So yeah, the torture is unpleasant, but his overall intentions are good. He sure as hell isn't going to be a paladin, but I peg him as strongly Neutral Good.

Of course, he also uses torture when there's more viable alternatives available, especially, as a member of the intelligence community (to the extent that anyone on 24 is intelligent), he should know that all the pros know that torture just makes people say what they think you want to hear, not the truth. It's been discredited by the "good guys" for decades and only has come back into fashion because of civilian appointees who don't know or don't care. (Got that from a CIA operative.)

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Damn, I'm glad I don't watch this show.... Not the kind of "hero" who I have any interest in.

I gave up on it for similar reasons. In comparison, Sayid, the ex-Republican Guard torturer on Lost, actually is quite moral and there's no blithely done violence on that show.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

For what it's worth, while his organization may be lawful, no one in it seems to really be. His former boss, George Mason, once had his own son arrested so he could get a chance to talk to him, instead of, you know, picking up the phone or shooting him an e-mail, saying why it was important to talk.

 

[Gryffyn]

There is no magic in 24.

Chloe O'Brien performs feats of magic every episode, though.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Actually, Jack Bauer is a good example of why everyone should abandon such systems altogether.

So people should abandon something they find useful just because you, personally, don't like it?

Sounds Lawful Evil to me.

 

[drothgery]

We really don't know anything about what Jack's like when not under extreme pressure (at least from waht I've seen -- the first three seasons of DVDs). Under extreme pressure (assasination of a presidential candidate, nuclear bombs about to go off in LA, deadly viruses about to be released in LA), Jack's willing to use means that are definitely D&D evil (most notably torture). On the days the show takes place, he acts borderline LN/LE in pursuit of LG/NG goals. I'm not sure how much this says about regular-day Jack, though.

 

[Klaus]

I only watched Seasons 1-3 of 24, and therefore stated that Jack was LN or N, leaving LE for "Man on Fire"'s Creasy (sp).