She argues for the moral action not to protect others, but because she wants to be someone who does the right thing. But the moral right IS the moral right because it benefits many or prevents harm. She thinks that killing is wrong unless there's no other option, so when she HAS another option, she takes it. She believes it is better to survive, even in a ... reduced state, than to die, because where there is life, there is hope. Her beliefs guide her actions. That's an inherent aspect of humanity, not selfishness.
I don't think Marco is any more selfish than the others, but his "unselfish" reason for his reluctance is a single person, just like Cassie's decision to leave in 19 is for a single person.
Marco's reasons are more sympathetic than they first appear, but you can't claim that Cassie is a bad person just because she's not always willing to take the most expedient path, or because she's reluctant to take an action that she views as inherently immoral. I'm personally willing to bend on "absolute" morals to achieve goals, but you can't claim that someone is more selfish than another simply because they're not willing to participate in a course of action or policy that they believe could or will result in more future harm. The ends do not always justify the means, and Cassie is the person who consistently voices that concern. That doesn't make her selfish, it just means that she's thoughtful and aware that the choice she makes today impacts herself and others tomorrow, above and beyond the single obstacle or set of obstacles she's facing at that moment.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2011-05-11 12:49 am (UTC)But the moral right IS the moral right because it benefits many or prevents harm. She thinks that killing is wrong unless there's no other option, so when she HAS another option, she takes it. She believes it is better to survive, even in a ... reduced state, than to die, because where there is life, there is hope. Her beliefs guide her actions. That's an inherent aspect of humanity, not selfishness.
I don't think Marco is any more selfish than the others, but his "unselfish" reason for his reluctance is a single person, just like Cassie's decision to leave in 19 is for a single person.
Marco's reasons are more sympathetic than they first appear, but you can't claim that Cassie is a bad person just because she's not always willing to take the most expedient path, or because she's reluctant to take an action that she views as inherently immoral. I'm personally willing to bend on "absolute" morals to achieve goals, but you can't claim that someone is more selfish than another simply because they're not willing to participate in a course of action or policy that they believe could or will result in more future harm.
The ends do not always justify the means, and Cassie is the person who consistently voices that concern. That doesn't make her selfish, it just means that she's thoughtful and aware that the choice she makes today impacts herself and others tomorrow, above and beyond the single obstacle or set of obstacles she's facing at that moment.