Debatable ethical issues in OotP and HBP

[redeyedwings]

No: HPFGUIDX 143302

lucianam73 wrote:
<large chunks snipped>
> > `I see,' said Dumbledore eventually, peering at Harry over the 
> > top of his half-moon spectacles .... `And you feel that you have
> > exerted your very best efforts in this matter, do you? That you 
> > have exercised all of your considerable ingenuity? That you have 
> > left no depth of cunning umplumbed in your quest to retrieve the 
> > memory?'
> > 
> > When was the last time I read about, or watched a movie about a 
> > wise and righteous mentor telling his young apprentice to leave 
> > `no depth of cunning umplumbed' to get something?  I can't 
> > remember! Yoda and Obi Wan-Kenobi never told Luke anything even 
> > remotely similar.

bboyminn:
> Maybe we have different definitions of cunning, but I'm pretty sure
> they all, indirectly, said exactly that. 
> 
> <snipped>
> Dumbledore is simply repeating various forms of 'Did you /really/
> try?'. Nothing more, nothing less.
> 
> I guess we can't agree all the time.


ReW writes:
Nope, we can't, but I agree with Steve on this one. Especially about the "no depths of cunning," and Lucianam's contention that Obi-Wan and Yoda never said anything like this. Like a good leader, Dumbledore is imploring Harry to use all his resources and not offer up excuses when he fails at a task.

Besides, "left no depths of cunning," quote sounds to me a lot like Master Yoda's: "Do. Or do not. There is no 'try.'"

While I can appreciate Lucianam's view that we should look at Dumbledore's message with a critical eye, I think it's very important to note that his attitude HAS changed in the course of the last two books - and it had to: His world is at war. If that means that Harry should be applauded for vowing to fight to the death and "take as many with me as I can," or that he should use every trick up his sleeve to recover information that may be crucial to any hope of victory, I think he is justified in that stance, both plot-wise and morally.

my 0.02,
ReW