Perhaps the most interesting of Hrathen’s internal thoughts in these chapters is his conviction that it’s better to do things that cause him guilt, as long as it saves people’s souls. This is a logical conundrum I’ve considered on several occasions. Taking Christian theology—which says that a soul is best off when it is ‘saved’—wouldn’t it be the ultimate sacrifice not to die for your fellow man, but to somehow sacrifice your own soul so that he could be saved? In short, what would happen if a man could condemn himself to hell so that another man could go to heaven? Wouldn’t that act in itself be noble enough un-condemn the man who unfairly went to hell? (Enter Douglas Adams, and god disappearing in a puff of logic.)
Anyway, that’s the logical fallacy I see Hrathen dealing with here. He knows he bears a heavy guilt for the bloodshed he caused in Duladel. However, he’s willing to take that guilt—and all the damage it brings—in order that people might be saved. He allows his own soul to bear the burden, rather than turning it over to the church. Again, I see this as a fallacy—but it certainly does make for an interesting line of reasoning.
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