Was wondering if there are any serious-minded people willing to share their views on this subject. I know it is the sort of thing which probably more belongs in the D&D, but since I don't like sewers, I am more inclined to put it here for now. My open question is this: Which is MORE important - Ethics or Loyalty? I will posit, I believe both are important, however, my own personal belief is that Ethics should always trump Loyalty. What do you think?
What sort of levels are we talking about? If a friend litters, do you turn him into the police? vs If a friend kills someone, do you turn him into the police? Embed disabled but obligatory Seinfeld reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdugFiq5nu0
Interesting topic. You do what you think is right. Hopefully your moral compass is strong enough that you do the right thing. Would you go back in time and murder Hitler?
ETHICS over loyalty for me. I think that's why I left my previous job... I was the only one vocal about the unethical practices going on there... and so after I spoke my peace, I let them know that if they didn't change their ways, I was gone. Sure enough, they didn't. I'm at a new place now, but had been at the previous for 17 years of LOYAL work.
Loyalty could be considered a virtue but like virtues, you have to utilize them to the appropriately. There is loyalty to a fault and that fault would be the point where it is preventing you from doing the right, or good, thing. Loyalty does get trumped by ethics. Loyalty may be a King but ethics is still the Ace of spades...assuming of course that Aces are a high value and not a one but that's another argument.
A bit of an odd question from my perspective, because I fully believe loyalty is the highest and supreme virtue.
What if he kills your mom For me Loyalty triumphs over what I consider victimless actions(crimes) unless it's for the greater good. Not sure if killing Hitler is anything but an ethics question, no loyalty involved unless your a citizen of the third Reich.
Of course that's a question of which loyalty? I would. Not because of ethics, but to me there's a difference between liking someone and true loyalty. And my loyalty is not to my friends or family, but rather the country. Loyalty from my perspective is not the about friendship between equals, but rather the deserved respect to your social superiors, whether it's those in power, the elderly, or something like that.
That seems like blind loyalty to me then. If your "superiors" order you to massacre a village of women and children, you would do it?
If mon frère ainé (the person i respect & love the most) committed a murder, i would help him cover it up. No question about it.
