Fratricide History

FRATRICIDE

FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF

CONSEQUENTALIST AND DEONTOLOGIST APPROACH

INTRODUCTION

The source of the word “fratricide” is coming from two Latin words, “frater” which means “brother” and the “cida” which means “killer”, coming together as “brother killer”. Its meaning can be defined as an act of a person, directly or via use of an assassin that ultimately results in the killing of their brother.

According to the story of Cain and Abel (Kabil and Habil), fratricide was the first type of murder to be committed in the history. It was seen in Sasanians, Romans, Byzantines and even in the Muslim Andalusian states and finally in the dynasty of the Ottoman (1299-1922).

HISTORICAL PROCESS OF THE FRATRICIDE IN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE

The tradition

Golden cage was a room in the Imperial Harem, where the sultan's brothers could never escape, unless perchance they became next in line to the throne. Some had already become mentally unstable by the time they were asked to reign. Lifetime solitary confinement solved the issue of killing brothers but brought another handicap to the dynasty. Since princes were assigned as sanjak governors to be better trained for political and administrative skills previously, when this practice was discontinued and they confined in the imperial palace, they had less chance to gain experience to govern the state.

CONSEQUENTALISM

Consequentalism is an ethical theory defends that the consequences of one's conduct are the ultimate basis for any judgement about the rightness or wrongness of that conduct. Result is important and if there is a good outcome, or consequence, there is a morally right act. In this ethic no type of act is inherently wrong – not even murdering. Which can be summarized as “the end justifies the means” (Mizzoni, John. Ethics: The Basics. John Wiley & Sons. p. 104). It is usually contrasted with deontological ethics.