Honour Killing Essay

Submitted By Deb09
Words: 385
Pages: 2

Honour Killing

Honour killing is the murder of a family member for shaming the family name. It is ethically and morally wrong because taking the life of another person should not be a decision that another human can make. If the person has done wrong they should be given the opportunity to be forgiven and another chance to prove their worth. Although honour killing is morally wrong, the beliefs of the ethical philosophers Immanuel Kant, Emmanuel Levinas and Aristotle display different point of views about honour killing and how they could be seen as ethically ideal. Aristotle believes that anything that is done with good reasoning and purpose is ethical, and since honour killings are done for a reason, Aristotle would find them acceptable. Kant believes that people's choices and decision are based on their duty to God or to any other high authority, therefore he would find honour killing acceptable because the family believes it is their duty to rid themselves of shame and disgrace. Levinas believes that the face of God can be seen in everyone but if the family argues that they no longer see the face of God in the family member, they have the reason for killing them. For example, in the situation where a young girl was killed because she was trying to integrate into a new society, Aristotle would