Philosophical Question

The philosophical question posed for the annual philosophical competition, known as the "2009 Think-Off", of New York Mills, Minnesota, (where ever that is!) is, "Is it ever wrong to do the right thing?" You may enter the competition by submitting an essay of 750 words or less before the April 1 deadline to the contest sponsors. I'm not going to enter, but I have some thoughts about the question.

My first realization about the question is that it assumes prospectively that the action taken was right, that is, that the act was the correct thing to do by whatever standard one wishes to apply.

If the question is answered in the affirmative, that doing the right thing was in fact the wrong thing to do, then the initial assumption of the act being the right thing to do is erroneous. But, this cannot be, because for it to be so, then the question would have to be false. If the question is answered in the negative, that doing the right thing was in fact the right thing to do, even though in retrospect it turned out to be the wrong thing to do, we find that, in this case as in the previous case, the initial assumption is erroneous, because doing right created a wrong, which is not the right thing to do, and therefore, we find that the original assumption of the act being the right thing to do is erroneous.

The basic question is fallacious. By definition, it can never be wrong to do the right thing, because right is right and not wrong. Hence, the essay competition is based on a conundrum, masquerading as an enigma. The contest's question is no more than a riddle. The prize should go to whomever exposes the truth, which is the right thing to do. However, if that approach doesn't win the contest, then it was the wrong thing to do, and therefore, the question is not based on a false premise. Got that?

Solving the world's problems, one at a time.