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« on: March 20, 2012, 05:18:53 pm »
There's an issue that's rarely explored in fiction (with some notable exceptions) in the responsible use of the super powers, specially when those super power are in the world shattering scale. While there are already issues with the legitimacy of super powered vigilantism at the lower ends of the scale (say, spider man level of power), things start to get really complicated when one start going on the scale that could actually change the world, regardless of the world's wishes. What right do you have to interfere with society X because they are doing something ethically unacceptable? How can you possibly let go on if you have the possibility of stopping it easily? What right does one have to force his ethical point of view on others?
To expand on this point, here's a hypothetical example of an extreme case. For some random case, our protagonist gets effectively limitless powers. Squaring the circle, dividing per 0, etc. remain impossible for him. The same way, while he could make the entirety of Earth nice, friendly and loving to his fellow human being, he can't do that while keeping them the same persons they were before. He can't do the self contradictory. He can't change the past, although he can change the world so it's identical to what would be if the past were different. He is well intentioned, and want to as good as he possibly can with his new found powers. There's no power that can possibly oppose to him, on any level. No person nor any nation, nor the whole earth unified against him, if he so decides.
Consider North Korea. Could he go in remove all their weapons, depose the 1984 style government they have today, and guarantee everyone is safe, well fed, and so on, they like it or not? In fact, do he have a responsibility to do so? Should he make sure no one is victimized around the world by their own government? Does he have a responsibility to make sure no atrocities are committed, or would it be anti-ethical for him to interfere in a country and culture that did not chose him, and does not want him to interfere? Should he make sure the governments of the so called western democracies does not trample over the individual rights of certain groups? Make sure that everyone is protected, even if it runs over the democratic representative system in these countries? In fact, must he, institute himself as a supreme leader of the world, in practice, if not in name (if he intercedes to overrule in cases he find ethically unacceptable, he does in fact runs over their authority and autonomy, and it's really inaccurate to call him the final authority, even if effectively delegates most of the day to day running of the world), or would it be ethically wrong, even if it in fact, did solve pretty much all of the world issues and abuses?
One could say something like this could go horribly wrong, but say he could guarantee things would go exactly as he desired, not terribly misfire in his face? If it were you, would you go ahead and create an ideal world? Even considering that it'd force your morality over everyone else? If it were someone else with the power, would it be ok for him to force his morality on you? Is it ok to trample over the autonomy and right of self determination of every individual and society in the world? Or do one have the responsibility to prevent evil in the best they possibly can?
The only thing I know is that I'm very happy we don't have a Dr. Manhattan or Superman power scale entity in the real world, since the only situation which I would find acceptable would be if it the entity were me, followed the same ethical guidelines that I do, at least on the major points, or were completely non interventionist (I suppose if the entity were petty, selfish and didn't do anything on absurd scale, it might be somewhat tolerable). But what are your takes on the issue?
P.S. Yes, I am aware of the parallels with certain theological and certain international relations and law debates. I'm not interested in investigating them in particular, specially the first, since it's the kind of debate that tends to go badly. I'm going to ask to please to avoid going into it, and above all, please do not go into specifics if you really must do so to make a point.
), although my most recent game was Kuriotates, and I've been thinking of trying my hand at the Sheaim going to infernal as soon as I can summon them, to try a radically different play style, although I don't really oppose to any race you might want me to play.
