The Dresden Files > DF Books
White Court: emotions
Arjan:
--- Quote from: Ananda on October 16, 2018, 11:53:08 PM ---I think you may have shifted the goal a bit. Your first statement seemed to be a sweeping characterisation of their objective place in that universe. Your follow up statement is now more a human endemic point of view.
Also, I’d point out that your supporting examples for your logic argument are direct appeals to emotion.
--- End quote ---
Not surprising because the word evil is all about emotion. It is about empathy and fear. Without emotions the word evil has no meaning.
--- Quote ---In my opinion, if examining the food chain logically, those higher on it eat those who are lower. There is no value judgement for choosing to live by eating. The value judgment only enters on how you do it and *that* is where empathy and sympathy live and only because we’ve evolved these systems likely as part of a species survival mechanism (as all mammals and many other species). The concept of “evil” itself is just a mirror back to these chemical reactions in our brains as our developed minds attempt to find patterns and meaning when these evolved mechanisms and our ability to interpret them exceeded the initial design. Hydrogen has no such hangups. :)
--- End quote ---
But the word evil is about value judgements. You assign value to what is good and you judge evil what is threatening good.
If you create too much distance the words good and evil become meaningless.
--- Quote ---
And, no judgement there. Personally, I think we’re captives to our chemical reactions and the emotions they cause combined with socialisation, circumstances, et cetera. I don’t even think we have free will as we think of it, but that’s another topic.
As for your neighbour, have you ever considered a pet tiger? I hear they have fearful symmetry. Our cat might help, too. She’s on an allergy diet for two months and her canned food’s main ingredient is potato peels so she’s craving meat. She now wakes me daily at 4.00, 4.30, 5.00 and so to loudly complain about the lack of chicken on her plate.
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Our first cat ate everything that came out of a tin and was labeled cat food. Our current cats only eat a few things and we have tried everything on the shelves. We humans here only eat free ranged meat but cats....
Arjan:
--- Quote from: morriswalters on October 17, 2018, 04:01:50 AM ---Evil need never appear in this argument. I love my dog but if she starts eating the neighbors I will put her down. It wouldn't make her evil, just dangerous.
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Depends on the neighbors. You might have different neighbors. We just labeled the neighbors evil so that makes the dog a servant of good.
Unless the dog is a white court vampire that feeds on the lustfull bestiality of the neighbors. That goes to far. That is evil.
--- Quote ---To to OP, As long as they don't kill me, stand up comics can make me laugh all they want.
And JB(Harry)'s moral compass doesn't seem to have a true north. He's gonna put down Lara, because she eats people, and yet his brother gets invited to all his birthday parties. In a cheesy horror movie people would be yelling at the screen saying, "You'll be sorry."
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Harry is just human. His moral compass is influenced by things like family and friends.
morriswalters:
--- Quote ---Depends on the neighbors.
--- End quote ---
You must have weird neighbors.
--- Quote ---Harry is just human. His moral compass is influenced by things like family and friends.
--- End quote ---
Yes, his brother is a murderer.
(click to show/hide)Jim actually throws this into our faces in Turn Coat, where he has Binder pretty much lay it out.
--- Quote ---“Some of the bloody fools I’ve known,” Binder said. “Can’t stop talking about how tragic they are. The poor lonely vampires. How they’re just like us. Bloody idiots.”
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Arjan:
--- Quote from: morriswalters on October 17, 2018, 10:40:09 AM ---You must have weird neighbors.Yes, his brother is a murderer.
--- End quote ---
Just the usual stuff asocial people do. Smoking outside when I want to open my windows and making too much noise when I want too sleep. I won’t send my cats to kill and eat him, it might poison my cats.
--- Quote --- (click to show/hide)Jim actually throws this into our faces in Turn Coat, where he has Binder pretty much lay it out.
--- End quote ---
You are not supposed to agree with all Harry’s moral choices. It would make a boring book. But I can sympatise.
morriswalters:
I really don't care about Harry's moral choices. I just wouldn't want him for a neighbor.
I'm glad you have a proper appreciation for the welfare of your cat.
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