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Logic Contradiction from Delenn - how to resolve?

Granite

Member
Was thinking about Babylon 5 the other day, and wanted to come back to the site after a long time gone to ask about a contradiction in Delenn's logic:

In Episode 2x21 - Comes the Inquisitor - As Sheridan and Delenn is being tortured by Sebastian, she states "This is my cause - life! One life or a billion it's all the same"

Later in Episode 3x14 Ship of Tears - She admits to G'Kar that she knew about the shadows role in the destruction of Narn - "We had to choose between choose between the death of millions and the death of billions" G'Kar responds that "Some must be sacrificed if others are to be saved" (a common phrase in the series).

This is a logical contradiction in my eyes, but would love some other thoughts.
 
Not everybody is logical all the time. And we've seen that Delenn can let her emotions overwhelm her at times. We've also seen that she was rather dependent on the Vorlons telling her what she should do so she was likely to go along when Kosh thougt that the Narn shouldn't be warned.

Jan
 
And as Delenn told G'Kar, it wouldn't have made much difference even if the Narns had been warned.

It's a shame really we didn't see more of Delenn battling with this decision through season 2 – it's really an impossible decision to make - you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. Is one life really worth the same as a billion? Do the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one? I can't answer these questions, but it is interesting in fiction to explore the answers.
 
I believe the contradiction can be explained. The inquisitor made Delenn choose between 1 live (Sheridan) and 1 live (herself). Kosh made Delenn choose, assuming she had a choise, between millions of Narn and billions of Narn.
 
i was thinking it was going to be how she explained bramner's disappearance in legacy as intervention of the GODS to her fellow minbari.
Then tells brother edward that the minbari do not believe in god or gods in passing through gethsemane
 
You can fight for life while accepting that you cannot save everyone. She would sacrifice herself to save them, but it wouldn't do any good.

This gave her a shitty choice. Not a contradiction to her goal.
 
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