"Ethics" is a broad and complex subject and any discussion should recognise that. However, given that part of the idea behind ethics is minimising harm (this is fairly universal, unlike other elements of ethics which are body or field specific), I can see an argument for ethical mind control. We, as a society, will deprive people of autonomy, freedom, or even life if there is sufficient potential for harm. We also tend to be trigger happy on that, but that's more of an R&P discussion, methinks. The point is that we already make people prisoners or violate them in other senses to prevent/minimise harm.
I can support Obi-Waning someone in self-defense or defense of others in many of the same situations I would condone violence or imprisonment.
However, as I said, ethics is a broad and complicated topic, and I can understand other points of view on the matter.
KyuubiNoKitsune-Hime said:
For example killing Hitler before he came to power could cause issues like the world getting a worse dictator, or the lack of exposure making things like concentration/death camps acceptable.
Except the former is incredibly reductive and inaccurate, and death camps actually were already acceptable. Not to mention prior applications of Eugenics on ethnic minorities. The US did that. We're the good guys. Yay us.
In practice, this is closer to the question of "if there was a train heading towards ten people and you could save them by flipping a switch, but you kill one innocent person, would you?"
TakerFoxx said:
Though I can see it being ethically used as a form of therapy, provided there's consent. Like say someone who had violent impulses or some kind of addiction willingly allowing their minds to be tweaked to remove them, though that leads to another slippery slope.
That is a damn good point. It wouldn't even need to be violent impulses and the like. I suffer PTSD, and I'm wondering what the applications could be in that field.
...on the other hand, yeah, it opens up a horde of abuse possibilities. Especially since we already have shrinks that try and cure TEH GAY.
Jamash said:
Doesn't ethical mind control already exist?
What about hypnotism to help people give up smoking?
It's not mind control, and it's especially not the situation described in the OP.
K12 said:
The thing is, if this power existed then it would either be used openly and officially with (hopefully) appropriate safeguards, accountability and transparency or it would get used under the table with little or no oversight.
If we're talking the real world, though, people are going to invariably abuse it. And we have police and military abuse routinely. And that's assuming this was mind control specifically in their hands. What if it's a private citizen? The question asked asked us to presume we had the power. What if it was you, ore me, or anyone else in this thread? Could there even be oversight necessarily?