How does religion factor into this? Most of Paraguay, and certainly the room where this essay will be presented, is predominantly Christian, specifically Catholic. Thus, the Catholic denomination and its associated mythos and texts can be utilized as a shared set of moral codes, ideals, and ethics.
With the preamble out of the way, we can now get into the meat of the matter. Kant described a particular situation in which a murderer is standing outside of one’ s door, and the victim they seek is in that same individual’ s house. The murderer asks if the victim is inside. Should the hypothetical individual lie? Would lying be morally justifiable? Kant argues that lying would not be the morally correct action, as lying in itself is morally wrong, and committing a wrongdoing for a particular consequence is contrary to the Categorical Imperative. Kant believes that the consequences cannot factor into a moral judgment; only the act itself is relevant. Additionally, Kant asks if it would be acceptable for everyone to lie all the time. There are a great deal more nuances than described, but for the sake of the enforced brevity levied on this essay, the reader can trust that the following argument curtails those nuances quite handily.
The sixth commandment is“ Thou shalt not kill.”( Exodus 20:13). It is difficult to construct an entire argument surrounding a single sentence; thus, I turn to the Catechisms of the Catholic Church. In part three, section two, chapter two, article five, the book states that the commandment’ s meaning is“ human life is sacred because from its beginnings it involves the creative action of God.”( John Paul II, 545). While that is a strong word towards the would-be murderer, it doesn’ t help the hypothetical individual in making their judgment. For that, the concept of Legitimate Defense, or committing sin for the sake of preventing sin and preserving life, is introduced. The book states that“ love to oneself remains a fundamental principle of morality. Therefore, it is legitimate to insist on respect for one’ s own right to life.”( John Paul II, 545). It is legitimate to insist on respect for life, and thus not a sin, because“ the act of self-defense can have a double effect: the
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