New To The Fold|Mentis
Feb 9, 2010 18:18:45 GMT -5
Post by Darastrix on Feb 9, 2010 18:18:45 GMT -5
"To die in such a way can also grant those same loved ones the guilt of being the cause of your death, and the hardship that comes with having to struggle along without you," Michael said. "Preserving a life is not the same as preserving health and happiness, and self-sacrifice may occur for less than virtuous reasons. A man may simply step in because he thinks he can save both himself and his child, and would not have acted so had he thought that he would die. His misplaced pride killed him. A woman abused by her husband might save him out of fear that if he survived without her help, she might be beaten because she did nothing. Or the same woman acted because she thought she would die. Her death stemmed from fear of her husband. A tyrant might risk his life to save his son and secure his legacy, trusting his son to carry on his will."
"Nothing is black and white. Actions have reasons and intent, and that is where one needs to look, where the true vice or virtue lie. Attaching moral to action or choice without looking below the surface is a blind judgment. A chaste person who remains chaste simply because they don't want to risk disease or pregnancy isn't being virtuous. They're being rational," he stressed. "Disease is harmful and can be expensive. A child is a good deal of work to raise and more expense to an unwed parent. A person who is chaste purely for the sake of virtue, well, where is the virtue? They just accept a moral implication to an act and think themselves a better person for not indulging. They are ignorant. On the other hand, a person who chooses not to remain chaste for the enjoyment of simply giving pleasure to others, and who is sensible of the risks and plans accordingly with herbs and other safeguards to both their and others' health could be argued to be virtuous in both thought and action."
"Nothing is black and white. Actions have reasons and intent, and that is where one needs to look, where the true vice or virtue lie. Attaching moral to action or choice without looking below the surface is a blind judgment. A chaste person who remains chaste simply because they don't want to risk disease or pregnancy isn't being virtuous. They're being rational," he stressed. "Disease is harmful and can be expensive. A child is a good deal of work to raise and more expense to an unwed parent. A person who is chaste purely for the sake of virtue, well, where is the virtue? They just accept a moral implication to an act and think themselves a better person for not indulging. They are ignorant. On the other hand, a person who chooses not to remain chaste for the enjoyment of simply giving pleasure to others, and who is sensible of the risks and plans accordingly with herbs and other safeguards to both their and others' health could be argued to be virtuous in both thought and action."