008 - [Text] Boredom, boredom

[triggered_it]

Welcome to our new arrivals. I mean that sincerely. The usual sarcasm is redundant at this point. The same comments are made every month, and it gets tiring to hear after a while. You'll learn for yourselves how this place operates soon enough.

To everyone else, I believe we're overdue for another flood. I suggest battening down the metaphorical

Comments

[royal_serge]

Thank you very kindly for the welcome, sir. My name is Constable Benton Fraser, and it's a pleasure.

Ah, a philosophical discussion. How pleasant! But first, I have to note- your questions ... they rely rather heavily on the 'no win scenario', don't they?

[triggered_it]

Benton Fraser, it is a pleasure. Adrian Veidt.

As for the 'no win scenario' that's part of the point of utilitarianism and philosophy in general: to deduce a correct and logical answer from seemingly insoluble problems.

Sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good but at what cost, and who is willing to make those sacrifices?

[royal_serge]

It's good to meet you, Mister Veidt.

Ah, but in my experience, there is no such thing as a no-win scenario. There's always a third option. I've also discovered that the logical answer and the correct answer are not always the same thing.

As to your premise, of course sacrifices are sometimes necessary, but you can only chose whether or not to make sacrifices yourself. It's not right to chose to force others to make sacrifices.

[triggered_it]

You sound like a follower of Kant's deontology when you say other people can never be used as a means to an end. Of course, I agree with you. Any philosophy taken to an extreme can be dangerous. [LOL bullshitting.] I've been witness to extreme forms of deontology, nihilism, and cold scientific detachment. I won't shy away from admitting that I favor utilitarianism, but I do try to acknowledge its flaws, hence some of the difficult questions near the end.

threadjack okay?

[royal_serge]

Pardon me sir, but ... a time machine?

[royal_serge]

Ah, please forgive my rudeness. I'm Constable Benton Fraser, RCMP. ... There's a story about how I first came to Chicago, but I suspect it's not really relevant here.

A TARDIS? ... Ah. I'm afraid my understanding of physics must need some brushing up.

Private.

[thegooddrjones]

Cute, Adrian. Very, very cute.

Private.

[triggered_it]

These are serious questions, Martha.

Private.

[thegooddrjones]

They're clearly intended to get a rise out of me in an effort to force an agreement that I simply don't feel. I'm waiting on word from the Admiral, and after I've read it, we'll discuss it again.

Private.

[triggered_it]

Please, I know you'll never agree with me. My goal was partly to annoy you, in which case I've been successful.

As for the rest of my motives? Well, I do get bored sometimes, Martha, and it's a subject that obviously interests me.

[nodeedtoobase]

The goal of all human action should be social rectitude. This preoccupation with happiness and pleasure is a distraction from the needs of society, and serves only to blind people to the fact that true happiness is gained when the greater wrongs of the world have been righted.

[triggered_it]

And what would you be willing to do in order to right the wrongs of the world? Kill five people, a hundred, a thousand, or even a million?

More, perhaps?

[nodeedtoobase]

If the right man were to die in the right place at the right time, history would never be the same. I don't believe in excess. But I would do what was necessary.

What would you be willing to do?

[triggered_it]

That would depend. If I was already directly involved in the situation, I would do what I could to save the greatest number of lives. However, if I was an observer, I would hesitate to directly involve myself if directly involving myself meant throwing an innocent person to the wolves.

Most people would say the same, if you are clever enough to tease it out of them. It seems the principle changes depending on the situation. [LOL, lies. he'd kill fifteen million people obvs.]

[cautionarystory]

So, like, a lot of those depend on whether or not we care what's the right thing to do.

[triggered_it]

Do you not?

[cautionarystory]

Oh, sure I do. Construction worker, five schoolkids, somebody singing badly in the shower, I'm practically a nervous wreck about it all.

[triggered_it]

They're hypotheticals. You're not meant to care, you're meant to think. Notice how principles change.