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Russell Williams: the cowardice of the soldier's atheism

I

In a remarkable article," Virtue and Happiness, " the British philosopher Philippa Foot, who died there recently dealt with a daunting question. Here it is.

A Nazi named Gustav Wagner said during his arrest in Brazil where he had been exiled: " I was perfectly happy, and I was not thinking about the past. "(1) Gustav Wagner had served as captain in the Nazi death camps. The question is: can we be happy after having actively participated in the extermination of thousands of human beings? The Nazi felt no shame and alleged that he had made at the time that duty, the objective to purify human beings Europe lower, that is to say the Jews.

There is a logical incompatibility between wickedness and happiness: a wicked man can be happy. Or so argues that Philippa Foot, and has, in my opinion, absolutely correct. The problem is that, firstly, we think rightly, that this was a Nazi bad person, though, on the other hand, it is his belief that the illusionist and were a bad person.

Some argue that in fact was not a Nazi bad person because he has done excellently his dirty work. We can not condemn him on that plane. It is assumed therefore that the Nazi could have done his duty perfectly, but he was mistaken about the cause for which he had so much trouble. In sum, it was a good person, but his beliefs about Jews were completely erroneous.

Say Gustav Wagner has forced a Jewish prisoners of death camps to carry out his fellow captives to save his skin. Clearly, we would call cowardly this prisoner torturer, although beautifully executed his deadly task.

The same ruling applies to Gustav Wagner: it was a coward, even if he has to make "an excellent job." His trial, which is to say his Nazi beliefs, was unfounded, he was naive, he let himself be fooled by the Nazi propaganda. Other Germans like him, at the time, smarter, have fully understood the wandering of Nazism and refused to take part in this, risking their lives.

A person must be brave to be as wise, that is to say conservative . Indeed, as Peter Geach writes: "Without the courage No Other moral virtues: In Particular, no courage Without caution." (2) A rash, for example, misjudge the danger inherent in the situation it is unwise. For its part, the coward exaggerates the danger, it also demonstrated carelessness or naivete. Gustav Wagner was naive and misguided. That's why its so-called "courage" that is cowardice. While he showed great determination, great zeal, resolution, everything you like, but certainly not courage .

The brave man is necessarily conservative, that is to say sagacious. Aristotle is the virtue of prudence (phronesis ) as the virtue par excellence. "Once man of prudence, it has all the other virtues ," he writes. (3)

II

This granted, let us the case of the former Canadian Forces colonel, Russell Williams. The courage to pass under the military of course, can be Brave other than on the battlefield. The former colonel was in his personal life a coward.

When you want to understand the conduct of a person, it should relate to its intentions. It is difficult if not impossible, to discern the intentions of the former colonel except that it was intended to satisfy the fantasies of sexual power. Mario Larivée-Side, clinical sexologist, says

are talking about a sexual sadist, a rapist and a serial killer. A fetishist who disguises herself, which, if one believes clothing girl he loved, was also a pedophile side ... (4)

Sexologist added:

What excited him was to kill, hurt , feeling that he was omnipotent face his victim. To feel he had the right to life or death over it probably did increase the pleasure he derived from his murders.

One might think that "the ogre in his underwear," as was so nicely named Nathalie Petrowski ( Press Wednesday October 20), is that evil, pure and simple flesh and bone, Kakos mentioned by St Augustine (City of God , Book 19). For Augustine, nobody wants evil for evil. So, strange as it sounds, Russell Williams sought a "good" through its criminal monstrosities: desire for power, sexual gratification, fetish, etc..

The author of the famous Confessions examine the possibility of the existence of evil in itself, regardless of the property. Impossible, Augustine concluded: good exist without evil, whereas evil can not exist without good. This is the doctrine of evil as lack of good ( privatio bonus). To support his argument, Augustine considers the existence of a fictional, Kakos (Greek evil (think of caco voice, best shit ... )). Imagine, then, Augustine asks, be a frightfully wicked " who perhaps because of her unsociable ferocity is called 'half-man, rather than men. "But that is Kakos insane by his own wickedness if any good? He certainly wants a "rest free from any molestation of any violence, all terror "from others. In sum, the most vicious creatures call all his wishes enjoyment and tranquility. The least we can say is that Kakos is awkward. His life is miserable and consequently unhappy.

Kakos illustration is spitting image of the infamous Russell Williams. What applies to first apply to another. The least we can say is that the "ogre in their underwear" was incredibly bad clever, it is of sortre deeply miserable and unhappy. He wanted the property, yet the least we can say is that it is badly made. Despite all his care methodical, Russell Williams was fundamentally imprudent and unwise. Do not confuse the above order maniac he took for his "trophies" with prudence and sagacity. He did not measure the suffering it inflicted unprecedented in its victims. The virtue of compassion for the suffering of his victims was sorely lacking. In short, he was deeply "vicious", incapable of any virtue. This is a monster half-man , in other words: it is inhuman.

Enjoy the suffering of her are caught up does not mean in any way that the infamous spinning perfect happiness. If, as suggested by Philippa Foot, happiness and humanity are measured by the degree of Under Russell Williams is most unfortunate and most inhuman of men. The vice principal of the former military remains the cowardice. This defect led to its loss, because the vice contrary, recklessness, led him to commit crimes always going one step further. Russell Williams was a coward because he had not the courage to confront his deviance. As in all cases of cowardice, Williams probably exaggerated the difficulty he faced and did not want to confide in his wife, a psychiatrist or even a contact person. Without doubt he was fleeing any questioning of himself. It is indeed necessary courage to confront his own monsters and acknowledge his weaknesses.

Socrates had the courage. In Phaedrus , Plato has Socrates say that: "... ignoring me myself ... I want to know if I am a monster more complicated and blinder than Typhon, or be softer and easier and takes a share of the nature of light and divinity. "(230a). For the master of Plato, wisdom is knowing what virtue, for Socrates longed to know who he was on this crucial point, as the inscription at Delphi required: Know thyself! ( Gnote seauton )

III

The lesson to be learned from the disastrous Russell Williams, is that virtue plays a central role in the pursuit of happiness. Aristotle never ceases to repeat that education in virtue is the key to happiness that is most desirable. The work of Philippa Foot, relaying to the wisdom of today's high school teacher, was not in vain. It will probably take many more unspeakable tragedy and unspeakable for us to understand further the importance of education to virtue. Because we live in liberal societies where freedom prevails over all, the virtue in particular. As "the ogre in his underwear" could enjoy quietly and peacefully at his home of his "trophies" without prejudice to anyone, is it not, as Mill wrote, " sovereign over himself, his own body and mind his own ? ( On Liberty Introduction) There will come a day that we have the courage to challenge those fine liberal principles, and stop accepting tack once and for all that there is nothing more beautiful and greater than virtue. ____________ NOTES



(1) Quoted in Philippa Foot, "Virtue and Happiness," in M. Canto-Sperber, British moral philosophy, PUF, 1994 134.
(2) Peter Thomas Geach, The Virtues , Cambridge, 1977, p. 160.
(3) Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics , 1145a2.
(4) Quoted in Press Wednesday, October 20, p. A7.