We Shall Now Begin Ethics - Vol. 3 Ch. 12 - Cicada's Cries

[Aoitenshi]

@yuusiren True friends talk with telepathy.

 

[Joko_P]

This doesn't make sense. It said that he's a good team player. But how can he be good at it if he doesn't even talk? It also said he has friends, but why he always spend his time all alone? Is this really doesn't make sense or my brain cells failed to understand this chapter?

 

[musicfreak12]

Is he like Komi-san that communicated via writing? How could someone be a team player and have a friend without speaking anyway

 

[Hellewise]

OMG I want more on this dude

 

[OtHeR-THinG]

Good to finally know what this chapter about!

And thank you to everyone who explain what's going in this chapter. As for why he can make friends and even become a good team player... I think we should wait for further chapter explaining those?

 

[cupidline]

I think you could befriend with others even though you are not talking. The most important in friendship is understanding and respect. His friend respect that he almost never speak and just assume his response via eye contact. I really like the moment when the teacher corrected himself and said Soga maybe only commit himself to the other only quarter after he said its 2 quarter.

 

[nutjob]

@reica
Typo on page 14: "...with Soga occassionally." >> "...with Soga occasionally."

 

[Tensei21]

I like this dude. It's nice having a character that isn't going through some dark stuff. Even something as simple and not speaking can be so intriguing.

 

[artikandri]

Probably one of my most favourites so far. Thank you for the translation

 

[Binbin]

That dude was pretty cool.

 

[HolyDemon]

double posted

 

[RexNemorensis]

"I wonder what 'conversations' those cicadas are having."

Meanwhile, on the trees...
"LET'S HAVE SEX! SEX SEX SEX! SEX RIGHT NOW! SEX ALL DAY! SEX FOREVER!"

 

[HolyDemon]

@lexy I think both the abusive husband and the jew nazi situation are sort of a "bad" ethical problem, in the sense that it provides an easy distinction of "evil", thus removing the uncertainty from your decision.

Here's an even more contemporary, and even harder rendition to that jew-nazi: Would you shelter a Muslim stranger, who looks hurt and scared, from the police?

Bonus question: Would you do the same had that person been black? chinese? of the same race as yourself? Trying to answer these question helps you appreciate the altruism of people who helped Jews in WW2, as well as understand why most people would refuse to help, and why Angela Merkel accepted Syrian refugees despite public outcry.

 

[lostallday]

persona protagonist over here

 

[lexy]

@HolyDemon it's interesting what you say, tho personally I think it isnt That "bad" of an ethical problem cause they did say that as a con, you would probably end up labeled as "kidnapper" (even if that is or isn't how it could end in real life)


also...mayybeee....I, again personally, would help at least the ones I can (tho I wouldn't truly know till it happened I guess) with... idk something, anything, not cause I'm a saint. I know very damn well I'm not, just that I'm asian in a country that's pretty racist at times so I know from experience it can be hard, man ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (no, not usa)

 

[Clover_Zero]

A sweet and quite relaxing chapter (after an intense one) that I somehow missed days ago. I vaguely got it, but thanks to people who explained it here! I love this chapter, the atmosphere, and the boy. Need more of him and his intense eye contact. Having a character who isn't going through some dark hardship but just being unique is indeed nice once in a while. Such a sweet boy.

I think, in sports, you can still be a team player even if you don't talk. There are gestures and such to be used, or just generally help others without being asked in a match. Perhaps.

 

[Froshi]

My high school days is pretty much the same. Most days I just kept my mouth shut, and only spoke 1-2 words when I have to. Yet there are still 2-3 people who hung around me, so I kinda still had fun.
Reading the comment section, apparently this is a rare thing? That's quite surprising. Maybe it's because I went to a decent school? Everyone most probably tried to communicate with me on the daily basis out of pity.. Hahaa

 

[XieShu]

OK so, can someone tell me what is the full mark answer to his question?

 

[mayu_hojo]

@XieShu

There isn't a perfect answer, just a long discussion to be quite honest. The student may have been logically sounding on what he wrote about. This is the TLDR, to be honest, and what I'm writing after is some half-informed philosophy info.

The question that the story gives resembles well to the thought experiment by Immanuel Kant (google "Kant's Axe"). Though there are some differences, especially in the consequences and motivations because for this situation you're risking yourself to be a kidnapper apparently.

For Kant's answer to his original situation though, he bases that you should tell the truth to the abusive husband that the wife is hiding in the house. This is due to his thing called the "Categorical Imperative," which also is a long drawn concept. Though for this, the categorical imperative stands that basically if what you're doing is contradictory if everyone else did it, then you shouldn't be doing it. So if you're lying to the man, then that means everyone else should lie too, which arrives in a contradiction in the universe if everyone were to lie. You cannot therefore lie, and so you must tell the truth to the husband.

There was/is a lot of discussion about this, and one of the more popular responses was whether it was okay to lie to specifically Nazis; hence why there was a reference in the manga. There can be more to say, but again it is a long drawn discussion.

 

[Deathhappens]

@mayu_hojo

"There isn't a correct answer, just a long discussion" is pretty much philosophy (and especially ethics) in a nutshell.