All things Philosophical. discussion

A character in Dostoyevsky's"The Brothers Karamazov" said "Imagine that you are creating a fabric of human destiny with the object of making men happy in the end, giving them peace and rest at last, but that it was essential and inevitable to torture to death only one tiny creature... and to found that edifice on its unavenged tears, would you consent...? Tell me, and tell the truth?"
(This question is also posed in the "Philosopher's Stone" folder of GR Magazine, a Goodreads group that I moderate. You are all welcome to join that group.)

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/5...

Would you make all humanity for all time miserable and unhappy, so that you could save one child from torture and death?

The question itself is not asking you to choose between suffering and happiness, it is asking if torturing a child in this 'world' would end peace would you do it. Unless I interpreted your question wrong and you simply believe this 'world' is already miserable and unhappy and thus saying that would you condemn this world to live in its current state rather than one of absolute peace.

While most people would like to say if they could ensure world peace they would, but it is always more difficult then the initial appearances. I would say no I could not torture a 'kid' or even someone labeled as 'evil' (even though its easier to imagine.)

In a word no because I would, presented with the proposition, be aware of its impossibility. If I would act thus, the world would not be peaceful, if one understands peace to be the absence of harm (evil). This is another form of Ivan's tortured question to Alyosha. Ultimately the Brothers Karamazov demonstrates the possibilities of freedom but resolves itself in an affirmation of grace which assumes that Alyosha is the future of the Karamazovs.

Yes, God help me.