 Bertrand Russell Quotes 366 |
Take, first, the prohibition of murder. If "murder" is defined as "unjustifiable homicide" it follows tautologically that murder is wrong. But this merely transfers the argument to the inquiry as to when homicide is unjustifiable. Most people think that homicide is justified in war and as a result of condemnation by due process of law. It is very generally held that you have a right to kill a man in self-defence if there is no other way of preserving your life. It would seem to follow that you must have a right to kill a man in defence of your wife or your children. But how about saving your wife from a fate worse than death? And how about other people's children when they are in danger?
Source: Bertrand Russell: Human Society in Ethics and Politics, (1954), chapter 3
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