Afterlife/Clue/Quirrell/Phoenices/Apparation/RedGreen/Ravenclaw/Voice/Eth

[lizzyben04]

No: HPFGUIDX 171472

Catlady:
> Lizzyben wrote in
> <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/171363>:
> 
> << Deontological moral systems (snip) Teleological moral systems
> (snip) These are totally oppositional ethical pardigms >>
> 
> How can they be totally opposite to each other when both are totally
> opposite to Voldemort's statement that 'there is no good or evil, only
> power and those too weak to use it'?

lizzyben:

Well, they both start out w/the assumption that you actually want to
make moral/ethical choices, and have different methods for determining
what the ethical choice would be. Under a teleological approach, the
ethical choice is the one that brings the most positive consequences &
the fewest negative consequences. You look at the consequences first,
then decide which course of action would bring the best result. (i.e.
- it's OK for Aurors to use a unforgiveable curse against a Death
Eaters, because it allows them to stop a DE that would otherwise cause
death & suffering to many innocent people.)  

Whereas, under a deontological approach, there are uniform
ethical duties that we are always bound to perform, regardless of the
potential consequences. You look at the nature of the act itself to
judge its morality, and some acts are simply right or wrong,
regardless of consequences. (lying, stealing, etc.) The same universal
principles should be followed, no matter what the circumstances. (i.e.
- using an unforgivable curse is *always* a serious crime, regardless
of the reason for doing so).

They both assume that you're actually *trying* to act morally, but
have opposite ways of going about that. Whereas LV's statement is
totally amoral. It's outside any ethical framework at all. For LV,
there aren't any moral laws, and right & wrong don't matter at all, so
there's really no need to determine the "right" ethical choice. What's
right is what's right for LV, the end.

lizzyben