If you read my post from Sep 17 named The State, you'll see the theme for which I just found this brilliant quote (thanks to Carter):
How many does it take to metamorphose wickedness into righteousness? One man must not kill. If he does, it is murder.... But a state or nation may kill as many as they please, and it is not murder. It is just, necessary, commendable, and right. Only get people enough to agree to it, and the butchery of myriads of human beings is perfectly innocent. But how many does it take?
--Adin Ballou, The Non-Resistant, 5 February 1845
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By the way, Ballou's question is surely retorical, meant to illustrate that it is still wrong no matter how many people agree that it isn't. And I couldn't agree more.
But if we take the question to mean: how many does it take to ease the mind of the group that it is OK to kill? ... then I think the answer is simple: the majority.
If you have a group of ten men, and nine of them agree that Billy has to be lynched, then there is no problem. If only three of them thinks so, and they do it, then they are "wrong" in the eyes of the group, and must be punished.
If you have a very narrow majority, then you have strife, as witnessed in the USA currently.
Although I had read this posting, I did not feel able to comment on it.
ReplyDeleteAfter all, Why does someone agree with the pack, when they know it to be morally wrong?
Last night I watched a documentary about how people can become a suicide bomber.
During the program they showed film footage of what is a well documented psycological test. Apparently, This test is old, and has been repeated again and agin in different countries with the same results.
Take a small group of people, all but one of which are actors. Only one is the innocent subject who thinks everyone is, like him, taking part in a visual perception test.
They are shown a large white card with vertical lines, one on the left, and a group of lines on the right which all vary, rather drastically, in height.
The group are asked which of the lines on the right match the line on the left in height.
The real subject gives the correct answer, but the group choose one which is obviously smaller.
The real subject is confused.
After a couple of more cards, he waits to see what the rest of the group say, and then, face flushed, gives the same answer.
I was deeply shocked by this.
The subject knew he was right, but did not want to be out of place with the group.
I immediately thought of your question.
That is highly interesting. Tells us a lot about humanity.
ReplyDeleteI bet that the tiny minority who will speak against the group are those people who accomplishes astonishing things in life.
The thing about the human mind is that what we believe becomes real. Scientists have proved that man has been on the earth for thousands of years. For only a very short amount of that time has "God" existed in the Christian definition. Before the religion existed, God did not. 50 years ago, A.I.D.S. didn't exist, neither did cloning. My point is that we always make up what is right & wrong. Things change & people always find ways to justify their actions. Not everyone will always agree. Humans are the most social of species & we are the only animal that consciously chooses to be morally wrong rather than be outcast.
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