Post Two: Doctor Who and Morality

     Recently I've been re-watching (read: binging at a probably unhealthy rate) the reboot of Doctor Who. Watching so many episodes back to back, I noticed a theme cropping up all over the place. Often, either the villains or the Doctor himself will say something along the lines of "If you [do this], then aren't you just the same as [villain]?" This is a question that I've been thinking about for the last few days.

    Obviously, the real world isn't one of Daleks and Cybermen, of the TARDIS and fantastic adventures around the universe. But underneath those sweeping, broad declarations about morality, there's something that can be applied even to the smallest of situations. 

    This effect is shown on the macro level to make it more easily digestible for audiences. By the Daleks comparing themselves to the Doctor, the viewers can see that not everything one thinks is right is actually the morally correct course of action. But where do we draw the line?

    The Doctor often fights back against harmful alien entities, killing them with "no second chances." While this seems like a violent show, it has a lighthearted tone, taking away from the horror viewers would share with the Daleks at the actions of the Doctor. But the Doctor is almost always justified in what he does, at least in the eyes of the writer and within the fiction. He often strikes back when someone or something strikes at them or other people. 

    This retaliation can be seen at a smaller (and much less bloody) scale even within schools. Many schools' so-called "Zero Tolerance Policy" punishes both perpetrators of violence and victims, even without the victim raising a hand against the other. Knowing this rule, victims of bullying and fights often fight back, defending themselves, because no matter what they do they'll get punished.

    Personally, I believe fighting back when someone is attacking them is justified and not inherently morally wrong. But if someone is fighting to kill, should you respond with lethal force? Should you try to keep them alive the best you can while trying to save yourself?

    There are women who were arrested for murdering their rapists or abusive husbands. Police persecuted for responding to potentially lethal force of rioters trying to get into buildings they were protecting. Is one of those a correct response? Is both? Doctor Who seems to think it is, at least in the case of alien-fighting and interdimensional space travel. 

    I don't think Doctor Who is a crash course in ethics (though, at 11 seasons long, it's hardly a crash course). However, it does post some interesting questions about right and wrong, and whether there really is a right and wrong for situations like these.