Please do not get involved in revolutionary movements if you cannot understand how violently torturing someone into slavery/submission is morally incorrect.
First of all, I’m not sure that’s an accurate description of the text of the film. V did not torture Evey into servitude, he didn’t break her spirit, she did not become dependent on or obedient to him. Shortly after, she is free to leave his company, which she does, after thanking him.
Second of all, I’m not sure she would have thanked the Fingermen who were going to rape and murder her for being out after curfew at the beginning of the film.
Granted, though I woudl consider motives as well as deeds when attempting to label someone “good” or “bad.” Else you end up saying goofy shit like “The allies were just as bad as the Nazis in World War 2 because they used guns to kill people and killing people is wrong.”
I mean all you’ve really done there is set up the trolley problem.
The countdown clock on the doomsday machine is ticking, you’ve got one hour until it burns the earth sterile, a pair of pliers, and the only person who knows the deactivation code strapped to a table. You’re gonna tell me you’re not pulling his toenails out because torture bad?
How about this one: You’re a doctor, you’ve got a syringe loaded with a dose of a vaccine that will grant immunity to a deadly viral disease, thing is it HURTS. It causes a burning sensation at the injection site, it’ll leave a scar like the smallpox vaccine did. Your patient is a 7 year old child. You stick that needle in her arm, and she’s gonna scream in pain, but she’ll be immune from sharkpox for the rest of her life.
V believes - at least somewhat correctly - that he’s breaking down Evey’s deep seated fears that allow the fascist government to keep her cowed. He pushes her to the point she truly believes she’s going to be killed, and that she holds some ideal more precious than her own life, that she’s willing to face death for, this will enable her to right a revolution against said fascist government. After which she thanks him. It’s as immoral as drafting soldiers for war; the question boils down to why are you in the fight at all?
Please do not get involved in revolutionary movements if you cannot understand how violently torturing someone into slavery/submission is morally incorrect.
First of all, I’m not sure that’s an accurate description of the text of the film. V did not torture Evey into servitude, he didn’t break her spirit, she did not become dependent on or obedient to him. Shortly after, she is free to leave his company, which she does, after thanking him.
Second of all, I’m not sure she would have thanked the Fingermen who were going to rape and murder her for being out after curfew at the beginning of the film.
Just because there are other bad people does not make V good. Moore would tell you this himself.
Granted, though I woudl consider motives as well as deeds when attempting to label someone “good” or “bad.” Else you end up saying goofy shit like “The allies were just as bad as the Nazis in World War 2 because they used guns to kill people and killing people is wrong.”
And torturing someone to achieve moral goals is still immoral
I mean all you’ve really done there is set up the trolley problem.
The countdown clock on the doomsday machine is ticking, you’ve got one hour until it burns the earth sterile, a pair of pliers, and the only person who knows the deactivation code strapped to a table. You’re gonna tell me you’re not pulling his toenails out because torture bad?
How about this one: You’re a doctor, you’ve got a syringe loaded with a dose of a vaccine that will grant immunity to a deadly viral disease, thing is it HURTS. It causes a burning sensation at the injection site, it’ll leave a scar like the smallpox vaccine did. Your patient is a 7 year old child. You stick that needle in her arm, and she’s gonna scream in pain, but she’ll be immune from sharkpox for the rest of her life.
V believes - at least somewhat correctly - that he’s breaking down Evey’s deep seated fears that allow the fascist government to keep her cowed. He pushes her to the point she truly believes she’s going to be killed, and that she holds some ideal more precious than her own life, that she’s willing to face death for, this will enable her to right a revolution against said fascist government. After which she thanks him. It’s as immoral as drafting soldiers for war; the question boils down to why are you in the fight at all?
This isn’t a trolley problem because V has no clue if his methods would work. He just tortures someone.
Every hypothetical ypu list is a false equivalence as again V has no certainty that what he is doing will work.
Torture is always bad. It never gives reliable information gecause tortured people will tell you whatever you want to hear to make it stop.