Doing the Right Thing For the Right Reason

That's a really funny story. In real life, who carries around ten thousand dollars in gold? Any one but a drug dealer or other criminal? And why would they ask a neighbor to “hold it” for them? Maybe because it is stolen or counterfeit?

Soldiers are always told that their service is honorable. No matter whether they are committing genocide, or some other atrocity, on behalf of a corrupt and brutal government. It is unfortunate that so many martial artists, and make-believe samurai, consider this a model worth emulating.

I wonder Chris – did they have a bank system at that point? I legitimately don't know. If they didn't, that explains the whole neighbor thing and also keeping 100 ryo around. If they did have banks, then you are right – that's a little funky.

The mental state of a soldier is a whole different ball of wax – they are taught complete loyalty even at the expense of personal decision making based on ethics. That must be very difficult to deal with at times, especially when you are placed in life or death situations.

Banking in Japan is many hundreds of years old. It is not unusual to see people walking around with bank notes in period samurai movies.

I bring up soldiers because so many martial artists today consider themselves to be part of a noble warrior tradition. But as you noted, warriors are not generally asked to vote upon the major ethical decisions they enforce. So the idea of structuring one's moral life around “warrior ethics” is rather absurd IMO.

War is hell. “Live the martial way?” No thank you.

These are my ignorant comments, based upon not having read the book in question.

Hi Matt,

I like this as there are shades of grey to consider in every day life. Many of us have to weigh between an egocentric view and some type of societal good type of argument. I have always sided with the absolute good and evil, right or wrong if you will but I understand the good of many versus the good of a few (or one).

I've had to explain to my kids (and step kids) that the ethical, moral, and legal decisions one makes – defines them for years to come. If you give your word – you should keep it. You really have nothing else in life other than your integrity.

Good topic Matt.

Mr Zimmer,……..I agree with your statement about your word and your integrity……both have served me well these past 67 years……….take care and be well……….

While the action itself might be good, doing it for the wrong reason makes it 'hollow' without removing the goodness of the action. Some people argue that being good is something like a habit that becomes more instinctive the more it's practised. So with that in mind, I would argue that a person who does right for the wrong reason will also habitually do wrong (for the wrong reason).

With that in mind, they will have more wrong actions on their track record (so to speak) than right actions…

Have you read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, Matt San? Or the sequel, Speaker for the dead?

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~tenshi/Killer_000.htm

It's a bit of an extreme case of the opposite of what you propose – doing the wrong thing for the right reason.

“what if a bystander saves a victim of violence in the hopes of getting a reward? Isn’t that doing the right thing for the wrong reason, and isn’t it still the right thing to do?”

This is an interesting scenario but the way you've presented it makes it a highly unlikely situation. If the bystander was purely motivated by thoughts of a reward but didn't know in advance that a reward was likely then he would not save the victim (why bother?). However if he does save the victim then he has acted selflessly by risking his own life without any certainty of reward (whether he had thought about a reward or not). Perhaps the real test of honour is whether, having saved the victim and being offered a reward – does he accept it?

Thanks John – great point about the value of your word.

Thanks for your visit and comment rlhembree-san. I always appreciate having individuals with senior experience around.

I have not but a few people have told me they are really good. Perhaps I had better put them on my list. And if I remember correctly they aren't that long either, so I could probably knock them out in short order.

Yea you're right Sue, I sacrificed a little bit of reality in that scenario. Your question about him accepting the reward really speaks to Mr. Morgan's story – does he refuse right away, consider taking it then refuse, or take it then donate it later out of guilt? These are the fun gray zones.

I like this blog. Lots of stuff to comment on.

To do the right thing all the time is very difficult. It may seem easy, when you talk about it. But in practice, things get a little gray.

If you find a watch on the beach, should you return the watch? It is on the beach so it is fair game right? The honorable thing would be to find out who owned the watch by putting up flyers and asking around. But, in reality, who does that? Most people would say, cool, I found a watch. Finders keepers, losers wheepers.