The Problem of Technology When "Virtue" Becomes Passe`
In keeping with our discussion today of the power of technology--and adding in Yuval Levin's insight that society has replaced "promoting virtue" with "preventing suffering" as its overriding purpose--you end up with this story: A man is accused of using the Internet to assist the suicide of a mentally disturbed young man who lived 4000 miles away. From the story:
A British woman tried to alert U.S. police four years ago to an online predator she believes coaxed her emotionally fragile son to kill himself. Mark Drybrough, 32, hanged himself July 27, 2005 in his home in Coventry, just east of Birmingham in the English midlands. He was recovering from a nervous breakdown and under psychiatric care.
After his death, his family found two months' worth of online correspondence he'd had with a person known variously as Falcon Girl and Li Dao. "In his conversation with Mark, he was claiming he'd watched somebody else die on camera to try to encourage Mark to do it," his mother, Elaine Drybrough, said in an interview from her Coventry home. "I think he's been enjoying himself."
Police in Saint Paul, Minnesota are now investigating area resident William Francis Melchert-Dinkel, 46, for allegedly using the Internet to encourage, advise and assist people to commit suicide, possibly including Carleton University student Nadia Kajouji. Ottawa police said she had been in contact with Melchert-Dinkel. In the messages to her son, Elaine Drybrough said Falcon Girl was at times "quite loving -- he calls people 'honey' and ... making a bit like he's being helpful or whatever. I think his entire coaxing and persuasion (convinced) him to go ahead with it. (But) as far as we know, he did not die on camera."
With the growing power of all things technological, it becomes a matter of urgent concern to strengthen virtue within society. But the minute you bring up that concept, people start screaming about moralism--such as when the story broke in the UK--which I reported here at SHS--about the 13-year-old boy becoming a father. The nation became all atwitter and pundits tub-thumped about the need to reestablish moral values in England!!--except no one had any suggestions about how to go about that task for fear of being accused of religiosity or fuddy-duddyism.
So we are stuck with "choice" as the foundation--and that leads to terminal nonjudgmentalism, one consequence of which is sad stories such as this.
So we are stuck with "choice" as the foundation--and that leads to terminal nonjudgmentalism, one consequence of which is sad stories such as this.
Labels: Terminal Nonjudmentalism. Assisted Suicide. Ending Suffering Over Promoting Virtue.
posted by Wesley J. Smith @ 1:33 PM
8 Comments
8 Comments:
What's wrong with choice? Morality is a course that we choose of our own free will, not something that is (or should be) thrust upon us. And it differs from person to person. The "virtue" of which you speak is something that varies with time and place. Please don't tell us that there are "Truths" with a capital T. What you call "terminal nonjudgmentalism" is nothing more than a catchy way of saying "MY way, or the highway."
History Writer: No, it isn't MY way or the highway: It is society establishing proper public policies to protect the lives of all of its citizens.
But you show that euthanasia/assisted suicide is about death on demand for any reason. Thanks.
Wow, that story contains an additional story by a woman who was afraid that this on-line predator would convince her to commit suicide. She was afraid of him. It's very interesting, because it shows the sham of "choice" here. She didn't actually want to commit suicide. She was being persuaded into it and felt creeped-out by it but afraid she would give in. Really terrifying.
Is there any chance charges will actually be brought in Minnesota? As far as you know, Wesley, if the charges can be substantiated, has this guy committed a crime under Minnesota law? Because the British police are apparently stonewalling. They say (according to the article) they won't reopen the case. I don't know if they could do much--apply for extradition? But perhaps the Minnesota justice system has a better chance of actually bringing him to justice.
I have no idea, Lydia. It would depend on the statute. It would depend on whether there was jurisdiction as the death occurred in the UK. It would depend if a DA cared enough, or thought a jury would care enough, to bring a case.
But the law will never be sufficient to police this. In the end, a decent and virtuous society. And I think the Internet brings out the worst in us way more often than the best.
As far as I can see, a crime was committed. Here is a link to the Minnesota statutes: https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/statutes/?id=609.215
Wesley: you said: "But you show that euthanasia/assisted suicide is about death on demand for any reason. Thanks."
I will agree with you in part if you remove the "/" from between euthanasia and assisted suicide. The two are, as you well know, completely different; as you are aware, I do NOT support active euthanasia
With respect to assisted suicide: yes, it is about death on demand for any reason. That's freedom for you. Only a fascist would claim that the state has a higher interest in my life than I.
We can't choose to be born and by the same token we can't choose to die. Both those things are beyond us. (I don't agree with the new age/karma types...) Similarly euthanasia and assisted suicide are not "our own" nor as different from one another as it might seem. Even "assisted suicide" is an oxymoron, as is "eu" "thanasia." Well some of us are simple people who consider life good and death bad.
Jim Jones, anyone?
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