Citizens Quote by Edgar Mitchell
“To kill a citizen of our own country is evil, but to kill a citizen of another country is 'good.'”
About This Quote
The quote highlights the paradox of moral relativism in warfare, where killing one's own compatriots is condemned while killing outsiders is justified, exposing the arbitrary nature of nationalistic ethics.
In simple terms: War redefines morality based on nationality.
Key Takeaway
National identity skews ethical judgments.
Themes
Moral relativism
Nationalism
War ethics
Ingroup bias
Dehumanization
Mood
Skeptical
Reflective
Critical
Type
Political
Philosophical
When to use this quote
- Soldiers confronting enemy combatants
- Policy debates on foreign interventions
- Public opinion on wartime casualties
- Media framing of war crimes
- Legal distinctions between domestic and foreign killings
Key Concepts
Ethical double standards
Patriotic justification
Human rights
Conflict narratives
Practical Applications
- Analyzing propaganda
- Designing ethics training for military personnel
Questions to Reflect On
- How does national identity influence moral judgments?
- Can war ever be ethically justified?
A Different Perspective
The statement oversimplifies complex geopolitical realities and ignores universal human rights principles.
![“The Big Bang has gone away, but as far as Super String, that is suspicious for me. It all starts out with the notion of Big Bang, which if it were true, starts out with incredibly high temperatures. So they think [we] need to get these high temperatures for this broken symmetry; all this broken…” quote by Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/182/edgar-mitchell-6104_bangs_the-big-bang-has-gone-away-but-as-far-as_132330.jpg)
