Primals - A Discussion on Ethics & Philosophy (ARR & HW Spoilers)

[Shai]

Unrelated to Shiva and Thordan, I never really got why murder in Eorzia is as common as it can be, and not even frowned upon.

Unless it's someone important.

Yes. This bothers me as well.
You mow through Imperials and corrupt Brass Blades, but then Haurchefant dies and everyone loses their minds.
Don't these people have families and friends waiting for them at home?
It's ok to mercilessly slaughter them because they made bad life choices?

[LittleSparrow]

Yes. This bothers me as well.
You mow through Imperials and corrupt Brass Blades, but then Haurchefant dies and everyone loses their minds.
Don't these people have families and friends waiting for them at home?
It's ok to mercilessly slaughter them because they made bad life choices?

Mind you, a lot of Garlean soldiers were forced in service. They don't even believe in the cause. They were ripped from their homes to serve as soldiers, yet it's perfectly okay to just take their lives.

[WhiteArchmage]

You mow through Imperials and corrupt Brass Blades, but then Haurchefant dies and everyone loses their minds.
Don't these people have families and friends waiting for them at home?
It's ok to mercilessly slaughter them because they made bad life choices?

Short answer: The Imperials and Corrupt Brass Blades were trying to kill us, and are on opposite sides of war, were casualties are expected. Haurchefant had been our ally since we first set foot in Coerthas and we personally knew him and his family and had befriended them, plus he died trying to protect us. Wasn't this sort of debated in the "WoL: Mass Murderer" thread?

[Shai]

Short answer: The Imperials and Corrupt Brass Blades were trying to kill us, and are on opposite sides of war, were casualties are expected. Haurchefant had been our ally since we first set foot in Coerthas and we personally knew him and his family and had befriended them, plus he died trying to protect us. Wasn't this sort of debated in the "WoL: Mass Murderer" thread?

Probably? I never read that thread and I didn't bring up murder in this one.
I was only answering Sparrow, and agreeing there is a clear double standard there, too.

The problem with the self-defense argument is that not only are we never on trial for our actions
(barring the silly mock trials in Ishgard that were fabricated to remove Scion interference)
but no one ever acknowledges any of these actions in any remorseful way.

They just happen as if it's perfectly fine and dandy to kill a dozen men defending their beliefs.
Yes, war is war and people die -- but people come back from wars broken.
I don't really need a PTSD sub-plot to make it feel realistic, but...

Some small amount of dialogue saying we feel sorry a thousand innocent imperial colonial conscripts have to die so Ala Mhigo can be free would go a long way in portraying us as characters who actually value life and liberty.

[Delily]

Yes. This bothers me as well.
You mow through Imperials and corrupt Brass Blades, but then Haurchefant dies and everyone loses their minds.
Don't these people have families and friends waiting for them at home?
It's ok to mercilessly slaughter them because they made bad life choices?

Eorzea is at war with the Imperials. If you don't want to kill them, that won't prevent them from affording you the same luxury. Pressed or willingly is irrelevant when they have a sword pointed in your face. The same goes for the corrupted Brass Blades and the Crystal Braves. They were out for blood, and there was no way to reason with them or end the situation peacefully. They knew when they agreed to apprehend us what we were capable of. The reality is that sometimes the only way to stop people is to kill them.