Difference between Killing and Murder

**The Stranger** · 10-03-2006, 13:46

What is the difference between murdering and killing. They both result in death... when you are a soldier you know you might end up killing somebody... better, thats part of your training.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

**Sigurd** · 10-03-2006, 13:52

You kill someone if you happen to be on the road and a suicidal person jumps in front of your car.

**yesdachi** · 10-03-2006, 13:59

It all depends on who is being killed, and who is doing the killing.
Any specifics you’re thinking of?

**The Stranger** · 10-03-2006, 14:18

I mean what would you specify as murder and what as killing, do you see any difference at all etc

Originally Posted by Sharrukin

1. Some guy is working on his property digging out his waterline and a neigbours kid falls in and is KILLED. Is that MURDER?

2. Some teenagers out for smoke behind someone's house toss a cigarette that starts a fire, KILLING someone. Is that MURDER?

3. Some drunk runs a stop sign and plows into another car, KILLING someone. Is that MURDER?

4. Some woman shoots and KILLS a man attempting to rape her. Is that MURDER?

5. A drafted soldier in Vietnam is in a foxhole and KILLS an enemy soldier coming at him. Is that MURDER?

6. A soldier at the village of My Lai guns down women and children as they try to run, KILLING them. Is that MURDER?

Yes, there is a difference between KILLING and MURDER. Everything eventually ends in death as we are all going to die anyway. The circumstances do matter!

**Scurvy** · 10-03-2006, 15:18

I would count "killing" as "manslaughter" not "murder" however thats quite a broad generalisation, because both words are used very vaguely

**The Stranger** · 10-03-2006, 15:33

manslaughter sounds more brutal than murder and killing :P

**The_Mark** · 10-03-2006, 15:39

Broadly, murder is intentional and/or planned killing when not in defense of other lives.

**macsen rufus** · 10-03-2006, 15:41

Well, of the six examples above, I would only call no 6 murder, the definitions I'd use are:

1 - misadventure (possibly negligence depending on fences/warnings etc)
2 - manslaughter
3 - death by dangerous driving (but I've long thought you can get away with murder so long as you do it with a car....) or manslaughter
4 - self-defence, but she has to make a good case for killing as opposed to incapacitating him (ie was HE armed, too?)
5 - line of duty for both soldiers
6 - murder, pure and simple

What makes it murder is an intention to kill someone unlawfully. Manslaughter is death caused whilst attempting to HURT someone unlawfully. I think there's a case to extend manslaughter to include drink driving deaths. My definitions are rough n ready rather than legally sound, btw!

**DukeofSerbia** · 10-03-2006, 20:23

Originally Posted by The Stranger

What is the difference between murdering and killing. They both result in death... when you are a soldier you know you might end up killing somebody... better, thats part of your training.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

Open some good dictionary like Oxford or Cambridge. I already explained that in Monastery.

**ajaxfetish** · 10-03-2006, 21:05

Dictionary definitions are great for unfamiliar words, clarifying a word when confused about its usage, or numerous other things, but they are not the final answer on philosophical issues such as this. Definitions have to be decided by argument and concensus; such things do not end when a definition is published.

Ajax