If I know nothing can I be responsible for an

[coberst]

If I know nothing can I be responsible for anything?

Hogan's Heroes was an American television situation comedy that ran from 1965, to 1971. The show’s stage, a fictional account of Stalag 13, is situated in a German POW camp during the Second World War. The program featured Colonel Klink as the commandant of the camp and Hogan as the leader of the prisoners; Sergeant Schultz was the somewhat loveable and ever bumbling individual who was in charge of the prisoners. The prisoners were a crew of American and Allied prisoners who assisted Hogan in running a Special Operations group from the camp.

The prisoners were continually concocting a brew of shenanigans designed to fool Klink. Schultz seemed to constantly stumble upon these prisoner designs as they were being prepared and to immediately turn his back, cover his eyes, and say “I know nothing”; so as to position him self as ignorant and thus blameless for anything that might happen.

Sergeant Schultz constantly sought to have the excuse of ignorance of everything going on so that Colonel Klink would not send him to the Russian front should some of the prisoners escape.

I think that many American citizens follow the logic of Sergeant Schultz; they cultivate and embrace a veil of ignorance to protect them selves from having to accept responsibility for anything that might happen.

If I know nothing can I be blamed for anything?

[The Silver Thong]

Interesting. I was wondering, would it be worse if you knew what you were doing was wrong and still didn't accept responsibility for it and just pointed fingers playing dumb. As far as your post goes many people in America see no evil what so ever from there country and will defend the actions of said country solely on the basis of thinking there patriotic and there duty is to shut up.

Edited August 8, 2009 by The Silver Thong

[Harte]

If I know nothing can I be responsible for anything?

Yes, it turns out that you are.

For example, if you are ignorant of the law, that won't get you off your DUI charge.

If I know nothing can I be blamed for anything?[/b]

The very first thing you can be blamed for that comes to my mind is the fact that you know nothing.

That would, in fact, be your own fault.

Harte

[psychonaut]

That heart avatar is giving me some sort of arrhythmia... but for some reason I can't stop staring at it

Edited August 8, 2009 by psychonaut

[coberst]

We humans remain ignorant because we want to be ignorant. To be ignorant is to consider one's self to be blameless for whatever happens. We are fearful of freedom. We think that freedom is a state of irresponsibility and ignorance shields us from responsibility.

I do not think that this is in our genes but it is a result of the society that we have created.

I think that we can create a better society and we must start by becoming self-actualizing self-learners and Critical Thinking independent fair-minded citizens.

[Gecjoddity]

It's relative to whose view you are taking.

If I happen to be wondering around and find a lost city with its own set of rules and its own set conducts (which differ from the ones I was raised by), if I for instance greet someone by staring them straight in the eye and that happens to be a immoral crime and I get arrested, in my point of view I can't be blamed because I didn't know. Still, I have to admit the responsability of the act, it was of my own doing, because it was willingful. Now about the blame, take in consideration the people of said lost city, of course they would have to blame me.

If some guy comes to our city and starts to set houses on fire during full moons because he believes it apeases the almighty Roof God, we would have to blame him and take action, even if (in his viewing) it doesn't make sense that he is being judged for his act when he didn't know (nor did understand) that burning people's houses was bad. That's how society's work. It's like an organism that is destroying a cell that's not working under the established rules.

If we take "society" out of the picture and leave one man alone in a desolate world with no laws, and no rules... if he does something questionable, can he be responsible? Of course. Can he be blamed? Well... blamed for what?