Is Brainwashing an ethical method?

[Winona the Dog 1,984]

Brainwashing is defined as altering one's way of thinking without thier consent. I noticed that the mane 6 (namely Twilight) have thought of using this a method.

 

Twilight basically brainwashed (at least in my definition) borh the parasprites and the fruit bats in thier respective episodes. I also noticed that she was going to essentially use a reformation spell on Discord way back in Keep Calm and Flutter On which essentially would've brainwashed him if successful.

 

Is Brainwashing magic an ethical method to use? (Even if Twilight can use it should she?)

[)O( Scarlet )O( 1,259]

Brainwashing is defined as altering one's way of thinking without thier consent. I noticed that the mane 6 (namely Twilight) have thought of using this a method.

 

I'd say no, I mean it IS without the other person's consent, so ho exactly is that ethical?

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,825]

and

 

Brainwashing is by far, one of the most unethical methods ever. 

[FoxyCryptid 4,330]

That brings up some really nasty fridge horror, doesn't it?

[Horsy 193]

That reminds me of illuminati conspiracy and stuff xD

 

 

http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/099/c/5/my_little_pony_illuminati_by_gizemyorganci-d610988.png

 

http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr157/antpogo/pony/877520-20owl20spike.jpg

 

http://derpicdn.net/img/2012/12/8/176029/full.png

 

http://th06.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2013/099/4/c/my_little_pony_illuminati_by_gizemyorganci-d6107ku.png

 

http://www.sjgames.com/illuminati/brainwash/img/cover_lg.jpg

Edited December 28, 2013 by TheWiseHippo

[Frozen The Unicorn 484]

of course my dear friend brainwashing is ethical.

 

see i know you agree because i brainwashed you to make this post.

[Mand'alor Dash 2,225]

Considering the real world alternatives would have been mass extermination (for the fruit bats & parasprites) or cruel and unusual punishment (encasing Discord in stone for another 1000+ years), I'd say a forcible change of heart is the least of what's keeping Twilight awake at night.

[Doc. Volt 2,561]

if it is made for war.. yes.. i mean... what is ethical in war? so it is not ethical at all, but if i am a general and i want to win.. i will use it.... but still.. not ethical at all.. everything against the will of someone is not ethical!

[Sir Wulfington 276]

It has nothing to do with whether or not the action is ethical, it is whether or not the negatives of the brainwashing are outweighed by the positives. That alone determines whether or not it's ethical. In the cases Twilight has used it, they were used to stop the harm those creatures were doing, without even killing or hurting them, so I see nothing immoral about it.

[Brony Number 42 10,090]

It has nothing to do with whether or not the action is ethical, it is whether or not the negatives of the brainwashing are outweighed by the positives. That alone determines whether or not it's ethical. In the cases Twilight has used it, they were used to stop the harm those creatures were doing, without even killing or hurting them, so I see nothing immoral about it.

That statement is not clear. Positives or negatives for who? The person using it will see positive results, while the person affected will see negative results. 

 

Still, in the situations described, the use of magical coercion are justified. The parasprites are non thinking animals that were out of their natural environment. Twilight merely moved them back. No different than sedating a wild bear and moving him back to the wild.

 

As for Discord, he is a criminal. When someone commits a crime, the victims are justified in using force to resist. This raises the question of justice in Equestria. What constitutes crime and how is it handled? It seems that villains act with impunity and the mane 6 retaliate unilaterally, without consultation with any authority. 

 

Trixie should have been jailed for her actions. Rainbow Dash committed breaking and entering, petty theft, and resisting arrest. Were the security guards private or public police? Under what authority do they operate? 

[Fluttershyfan94 5,749]

It depends of course you could say that it's not because it's without their consent but in the situations she has done so it has been justifiable I guess you can justify it so there is nothing I see wrong with it in this case but in most cases I'd be against brainwashing. But in this case it was just in general I don't think so.

[Sir Wulfington 276]

That statement is not clear. Positives or negatives for who? The person using it will see positive results, while the person affected will see negative results.

 

Surely both sides, if they're capable of rational and intelligent thought, can see the positives and negatives of the action.

Edited December 29, 2013 by Sir Wulfington

[Horsy 193]

 

Trixie should have been jailed for her actions. Rainbow Dash committed breaking and entering, petty theft, and resisting arrest. Were the security guards private or public police? Under what authority do they operate? 

 

I don't know if you are talking about the episode where she took the book. But it wasn't a theft since she didn't actually steal anything from the hospital. The book was hers. Also the guards and the other guys were OK with RainbowDash after that.

[PlunderSteed 1,252]

Consider the alternative: in the real world, if a parasite (Parasprite) or rodent (Vampire Fruit Bat) population get out of hand and threatened our crops or settlements, a lot of farmers and residents wouldn't think twice about straight-up killing them.

 

Alternately, some forms of bioengineered corn contain RNA that modifies the DNA of pests who eat the corn.  This modification makes them unable to reproduce.  That's as close to "magic brainwashing" as it gets in real life, and (for now) it's only used on non-sentient* things like insects.

 

*some would disagree, as this article explores.

[Wingnut 7,018]

It is an ethical quandary, no doubt.  In both cases of the parasprites and the bats, something had to be done to protect Ponyville and the Apples' fruit respectively.  Doing nothing and letting nature take its course was not an option.  In both cases, the goal was to protect pony owned property with the least possible disruption to wildlife.  In hindsight, though, Twilight's behavior modifying spells were clearly not the way to go. 

 

I have a bigger problem with Twilight's intention to "reform" Discord with magic.  Now we're talking about a rational, thinking being.  But even if Twilight had that spell, it probably wouldn't have worked on a being as powerful as Discord anyway.