Self defense? Only on the battlefield? Only to achieve a β€˜noble’ end?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[+] 7 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (3 children)
  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (2 children)
  • [+] 8 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (3 children)
  • [–] 9 points 2 years ago

    I realize we're probably not going to convince each other over some internet comments, but that's not a philosophy I'd sign up for. Morality is subjective, and I'd rather choose moral principles that don't involve me accepting being massacred.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    There are a lot of things one can conclude from the 'temporary' nature of life (we know of several species whose sole cause of death is 'eaten by predator' or 'died in an accident' so life is not neccesarily temporary) and the buddhist interpretation seems to be a bit defeatist to me. "Life is short so I may as well throw it away" would have gotten humanity extinct at several points in history. If all life lived according to this mindset nature would be imbalanced and collapse immediately. Why should the deer rum from the wolves? Why should the rabbit from the fox? Without a drive to survive life would not have evolved past the microbial stage because there would have been no selection bias favoring individual genetic traits. As a result no single trait would get popular enough to get life out of the microbial stage. Now there can be a discussion about whether or not life should have evolved but that's on another page entirely.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 0 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

    You cannot reason that life shouldn't have evolved because any argument you can make is thanks to the fact that it evolved.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago

    There is no need of hate. You can defend and retaliate, but hate is pointless. Do it out of necessity, out of love of your neighbors and the need to protect them, not out of hate to the attackers. That's what it is about.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    Just a curious question: Would that also apply to your loved ones being savagely killed?

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [+] 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 child)
  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago

    You can do no violence but also feel sorrow at violence being done. Not only are those stances not incompatible but I'd argue they're in alignment. Violence, done by you, to you or simply involving others, is an occurrence to weep for. Some people are being put through unnecessary pain and some people are of an unsound mind and believe putting others through pain is justified.

    I won't judge someone who defends themselves for self preservation but I will applaud someone who continues to try and deescalate violence even as it's being enacted on them... though I will clarify this is all at the adult level, children take some time to come to awareness of who and what other people are and are still growing into their full selves.

  • source
  • parent