Debatable ethical issues in OotP and HBP

[amiabledorsai]

No: HPFGUIDX 143380

>   
> > Amiable Dorsai wrote:
> > "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men 
> to do nothing."  Edmund Burke
> > 
> > I see no other moral course, either for Harry or Dumbledore.  Do 
> you?
> >  
> 
> Lucianam: 
> I see the course of accepting the need to kill as their only option, 
> not something to feel vengeful and proud of. I see two paragraphs 
> overflowing with proudness and lack of 
> questioning. 'Fierce', 'strong', 'gleaming eyes', 'approving pat on 
> the back', 'true son' and 'take my hat off to you' leave no room to 
> feelings of doubt, which would be normal considering who is 
> speaking, about what he is speaking, and to whom he is speaking. 

Amiable Dorsai:

So it's OK for Harry to make the (very moral, IMHO) decision to do all
he can to protect the people he loves from monstrous evil so long as
he wears sackcloth and ashes in penitance?


Lucianam:
> Aka 
> a teenager who has never killed anyone previously and therefore 
> doesn't know how he really feels about it yet; talking about killing 
> which I presume is no easy thing in any situation (I might be wrong 
> about that but I hope not); addressing a public composed mostly of 
> teenagers like himself and also children.

I don't know.  It seems to me that one of the reasons for the appeal
of the Potter books is that JKR does not talk down to her audience,
doesn't sugarcoat.  Harry's attitude seems realistic to me.  A little
pride, a little bravado...

A little fear.

See how he feels at the end of book 7.

 
> In my opinion those two paragraphs are offensive (to me, I know) 
> because the killing problem wasn't treated as a problem at all, it 
> was addressed way too briefly and that was it. Since in a previous 
> book Harry spared Pettigrew's life and was told he did the right 
> thing, I guess it's fair to suppose the books' take on the matter 
> have changed. Well, because it's war now? Fine. Show me the war. 
> Show me Harry fighting for his life and killing Death Eaters as he 
> tries to save himself and his friends, but spare me the simplistic 
> speech.

Amiable Dorsai:
I thought it quite realistic.  I remember similar speeches from a
young friend who joined the Marines shortly after 9/11, and from men
of my father's generation who fought in WWII.

Lucianam:
> In my opinion, to talk about killing must be different from fighting 
> and doing the actual killing. Possibly Harry can't make that 
> distinction, being little more than a child, but Dumbledore is 
> supposed to be wise. 

Amiable Dorsai:
And so he encourages Harry to resist evil, and to take pride in doing
so.  Harry, remember, is not (at this point) talking about going out
and hunting down Death Eaters as a vigilante, he is saying that he
will not go down without a fight.  I think it's a healthy, and yes,
profoundly moral attitude.  One that would quickly render the Death
Eaters impotent if more of the Wizarding population had it.

And I believe Dumbledore is wise to encourage him.

Amiable Dorsai