I often wonder why is it that some people are often motivated by greed. And what´s even worse, why people following orders or fulfiling their own interests can cause so much damage in this world.
In my opinion, nothing can justify evil-doers. They may say they were obeying orders, like the tortures during the military dictatorship in Argentina. Soldiers are expected to obey orders without questioning them? As far as I am concerned we must question whoever it is, even ourselves, before acting.
Freedom is a double-edge weapon if used unwisely. That´s why I believe we must always make use of the ablility to reason: think over our real intentions, and analyse the conditions and consequences of our course of action.
Will human beings ever be ready to live in an ideal society like the one Thomas More presented in his Utopia?
By Miriam Rodriguez
Chapter 3
In my opinion, nothing can justify evil-doers. They may say they were obeying orders, like the tortures during the military dictatorship in Argentina. Soldiers are expected to obey orders without questioning them? As far as I am concerned we must question whoever it is, even ourselves, before acting.
Freedom is a double-edge weapon if used unwisely. That´s why I believe we must always make use of the ablility to reason: think over our real intentions, and analyse the conditions and consequences of our course of action.
Will human beings ever be ready to live in an ideal society like the one Thomas More presented in his Utopia?
By Miriam Rodriguez
Chapter 3
8 comments:
At long last, here I am answering your post jaja. what you wrote is exactly was I was thinking while writing mine.That´s what happened here in Argentina too, soldiers, generals, etc excused themselves by saying they were obeying orders, were they robots?
see you Mi!
It´s a shame people do not assume the consequences of their actions.
I´m glad we have similar opinions!
Love,
Miriam
I see your point, Miriam and Lu... Yet, wouldn't you agree many times people do evil while struggling for some good (either for themselves or for others)? What's worse, quite often there seems to be no way to make a utopian choice which benefits everyone... And possibly the only one aware of their true intentions (if lucky) is the doer...
I can understand that under certain circumstances (danger of death, for instance, as during a war), soldiers might be expected to give up their right to question orders... It'd be like choosing the lesser of two evils... The fact makes me feel quite uncomfortable, let me tell you,... and basically explains why I'd make a terrible soldier! :-P Luckily for me, teachers work at the other end of this "spectrum": our job involves choosing and helping others choose ALL the time... How liberating! 8-D!!!
Love,
Gladys
PS: do you agree with me this is teacher's aim? Do you think it's always been so?
Luckily nowadays teachers´aims are not only to teach their subject but also help students be better persons and find their own way. Contrary, in the past teachers´aims were completely different: they had to homogenize their class students so that later in life they would fit in a particular model of society. Pretty sad, though!
Miriam
That's it, Myriam! Teachers have come a long way: from "instructors" to "enablers" who work to humanize their learners... I'm glad most teacher trainees today are already aware of the difference by the time they enter college today!
Warmly,
Gladys
Hi, Miri! As I was reading your post a question cropped up in my mind: is it only through "thinking" that we arrive at "good" choices (a world of philosophical discussion wouldn't be enough to define "good" I guess)? I mean: aren't there more components making up that compass that guides us when making a choice?
I can already hear your answer.
Love,
Natalia
I think that you can´t justify an action you have made by saying you were obeying an order .
In all societies the people have to follow orders but in my opinion the most important order you have to follow is your conscience and your moral and what your parents have teached you because if you do things motivated by greed and you forget all these things ,you probably will cause damage in the world and all the people you loved will move away from you.
Euge
I think the same that you miriam. nowadays people want more money no matter what. to reach that are able to kill without guilt and not follow their own ideals. the people are free to do whatever they want with their lives but should not harm others as in do you currently.
in the words of a song by Lerner 'change the world begins with you'that's the solution to this major problem
Belén
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