Jacco said:
So I was debating with my friend the other day about whether it "counts" if you kill a non-human species, ie aliens, Elves, Dwarves, Vampires, Werewolves, etc.
My opinion is that no, it does not matter as much as killing a human. Vampires, Werewolves, elves, etc are not humans even though they are sapient and sentient and as such, killing a human is "worse."
The three people I was arguing with all disagreed and said it was just as bad BECAUSE they are human-like in their intelligence, self awareness, and emotional range.
Um.
Well, here's the thing - I'd split your category there.
If we're going Middle Earth, then killing an Elf is WORSE than killing a human, because Elves are immortal. A human would eventually die, but an elf would live on forever, so killing one is destroying something eternal.
A Dwarf is mortal, and sentient, and a "friendly" race - humans co-exist with them as allies and equals. Thus, they are the "same" as humans in regards to morality. It would be just as wrong to kill a dwarf as a human, and vice versa.
However, when you get into Vampires and Werewolves, things begins to change.
Vampires are almost always undead. You said Middle Earth, so I'm assuming you mean undead vampires - mortals who were slain by one of the undead and rose as an intelligent undead themselves. In that case, since undeath is vile, unnatural, and a desecration of the corpse, killing a Vampire is the same as killing a Zombie - you're destroying a horrible THING that is living in the corpse of a human. Thus not only is it okay to kill a vampire, it is morally correct to do so. In some cases, the victim's soul can't rest until the vampire is slain, so killing the vampire frees the dead person to rest - again, an act of kindness.
Werewolves, on the other hand, are typically either a disease, a curse, or a birth right. Each can be viewed a different way.
If lycanthropy is a disease, then the first question is does it have a cure in this world (or some way to prevent 'outbreaks')? If yes, then capture and curing the disease is the moral choice - killing the victim would be the same as killing a human infected with HIV or something similarly deadly.
On the other hand, if there is no cure (or treatment), then it gets sticker. Some might consider it a mercy kill - the person is a danger to themselves and others, and will only destroy what they love. Better to be slain. However, the individual may not agree. Killing the person might be for the greater good, but it is still killing a person - a human.
If lycanthropy is a curse, then obviously you want to break the curse and free the victim. See above.
If lycanthropy is a birth right - ie, the person was born that way, from a long line of werewolves, then the question becomes one of control. If the person has control (or can be given control) then they are still human and deserve the chance to act as such.
However, if the person has no control, then the same issues as the no cure option above arise - does the life of one outweigh the harm that one person will unintentionally do to society?
So, to sum up, I agree with your friends in part - Elves and Dwarves are basically the same as humans, whereas Vampires are most certainly not, and Werewolves are a more complex issue.
