Question

In 2007 the Star Ledger newspaper told of a young man (unnamed for his own protection) in Newark who witnessed a murder while walking home one day. It was a territorial drug dispute that didn’t even involve the murder victim who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The man who witnessed the murder recognized a couple of the assailants who also recognized him. He ran and wasn’t found until police discovered him during investigations.

He knew the right thing but he also knew he could put himself, his wife, and young child in danger. There are laws to protect witnesses in NJ but these laws are not always effective. Some witnesses to such murders had been murdered by gang members eager to protect themselves.

The man in the news article eventually agreed to testify when police promised to relocate him and his family to Puerto Rico.

For our discussions this week, answer the following questions and then interact with the postings of others.

1) Talk to another person you know about Kant’s moral principle of a categorical duty to never make yourself the exception to a duty you’d expect others to follow (the categorical imperative). What does this person think about it? Do either of you believe there is ever such a thing as an unquestionable moral duty and, if so, how would that apply to the murder witness in this case? If you think a witness to such a murder would be right to say nothing, explain if and when it is ever justifiable to follow a duty that could seriously cost you personally.

2) From the article "How to be True to Your Word" do you think the following statement about lying is true? Share your thoughts: "We may think our lying is for a good reason: to keep from insulting or wounding someone we care about, to avoid our own discomfort, to smooth over conflict or to make someone happy. Really, though, we most often lie to make our own reality more comfortable" (Cat Thompson, "How to be True to Your Word", Experience Life, 2012). What about the so-called "white lie"? Is this kind of lie, sometimes called a pro-social lie, something morally justifiable as you see it, or not?

Answer 1

Summary of the case:

- A Youngman saw a murder while walking to home one day.

- Youngman's presence is at wrong time and wrong place.

- The man who witnessed the murder recognized him by the murderers and he apparently ran away and didn't come front and this situation came out during investigations.

- He didn't come front because, he don't want to keep his family in danger.

- In NJ there is a relocation law to protect the witnesses.

- He agreed to relocate himself with his family to Puerto Rico for the safety.

1 ans: Kant theory clearly states that the right or wrong doesn't really depend on their constraints sometimes there will be willingness to be involved in this. He refered this simple principle as categorical imperative, fulfill the duty. There is no such thing which defines an unquestionable moral duty and this also applies to this murder witness in the case too because here this person(witness) has a choice to either accept and keep himself in risk and stand for the law or else he also can happily deny the situation by justifying he never saw anything and keep himself on safer side too it's completely his choice to make. yes he has a right to say nothing because what has happened he cannot change and the people who attempted this murder might done several murders earlier so they came to police station and went out on bail easily for many times and now what is the guarantee by this witness they will be arrested and be punished as per our laws, so the witness to such a murder has a right to say nothing. No it is not justifiable to follow a duty that could seriously cost you personally, Because happened is happened and these murderers are dangerous and can easily harm the person again and can destroy the witness so to be on safer note that is completely ok to not to follow a duty. Nothing can be taken on priority when it comes to your safety.

2 ans: Yes lying is absolutely acceptable when it comes to safety on such situations, lie can be told on the circumstances by every human being, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone that is completely fine. white lie is all about a harmless lie, which means a person can tell a lie according to their reality of life to lead some comfort. Yes it is a pro-social life, which morally justifiable as you see because it's about someones safety so that is pretty fine to go ahead with a white lie.