A Hypothetical
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This Side Towards Enemy
Member # 3098
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written Tuesday, November 9 2004 14:31
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Unlikely in the extreme as the example was (and the logical flaws Aran brings up should be assumed not to exist, and indeed shooting someone in the chest will have more of an effect on the direction they move in than shooting them in the foot) I would kill Joe. 10% of the world do not deserve to die just because I'm too selfish to do the dirty work that needs to be done. -------------------- Voice of Reasonable Morality Posts: 961 | Registered: Thursday, June 12 2003 07:00 |
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BoE Posse
Member # 112
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written Tuesday, November 9 2004 18:07
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Upon further thought, I've decided that I would be willing to kill an innocent person to save X number of others. If the person I was killing knew all the consequences, he'd most likely prefer to be sacrificed than live with the guilt of those x deaths. This is assuming, of course, all those rather dodgy hypotheticals are true - no other option than killing, consequences are certain, etc. -------------------- Rate my scenarios! Areni Revenge To Live in Fear Deadly Goblins Ugantan Nightmare Isle of Boredom Posts: 1423 | Registered: Sunday, October 7 2001 07:00 |
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Agent
Member # 618
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written Tuesday, November 9 2004 19:58
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I would, to all hypothetical questions and permutations of, merely deal with the situations how I always do. An on the spot decision, based on heavily on assumption, but most importantly, which smells right to me. It doesn't matter to me what numbers are involved or what might happen as a result. If I believe that a course of action if right, I'll do it. And so what if I decide on whether something smells right or not. If I killed someone tomorrow, that I had never met, without provocation or reason, other than they smelt so wrong as to go to that extreme, I would believe that that was not just the right course of action, but under the circumstances, the only choice of action. I don't believe in "karma" or "morals". I do, however, believe in doing what I think is the right thing to do in any situation. If that makes me a monster, so be it. If that makes me a ridiculed fool, so be it. If that makes me dead, so be it. I gladly pay the price, everytime. -------------------- Aut Tace Aut Loquere Meliora Silencio Posts: 1487 | Registered: Sunday, February 10 2002 08:00 |
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BANNED
Member # 4
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written Tuesday, November 9 2004 20:17
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Aran- the kid is too far for you to reach, he's at an angle which you can shoot him at to affect his direction, and the only places that you can hit him in are the only ones that will get him out of the way of the button. Basically, shoot him or let 10% of the world (perhaps including yourself) die. Now what if the button was reduced to 5%? Would you shoot the kid? 2.5%? 1%? 0.5%? 0.25%? Under the last example, at least 15 million people still die. Is it worth killing the child? What about 0.001%? That's 60,000. For those that would kill him- where would you stop? If the button killed two random people, would you shoot him? What about five? Would you have to know the kind of people you're saving, or would you shoot him based on principle alone? (Or would you kill him even if it only saved one?) For those who wouldn't kill him- what if the button would end 50% of the world? 75%? What if the button slowly tortured everyone on the planet until they passed out after unbearable pain and died a slow, painful death? The child would still be innocent, though- so what if everyone except for 144 survived? Would you chance it and let the child live? -------------------- 人 た ち を 燃 え る た め に 俺 は か れ ら に 火 を 上 げ る か ら 死 ん だ Posts: 6936 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 2984
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written Tuesday, November 9 2004 21:43
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The problem is, as you go down the scale with those deaths, chances increase that it'll hit only people who are absolute, total *******s by comparison and who deserve it much more than this child (which you, after all, described as "an angel" in terms of moral). Whereas with 10%, it's rather likely there'll be a big lot of people in all those millions who are equally important and "angel"-like. Since I have no arithmetic formula of setting the border between the number I would save and the number I would not (and assuming there is no logic to which 10% will be killed, just random), I probably would have to go by feeling. Based on my conception of the proportions of decent people among the population - (which certainly wouldn't include me. :P ) So if I thought chances were his death would save at least 2 people worth saving, I'd do it I guess. No sense in dirtying your hand otherwise. -------------------- The Encyclopaedia Ermariana <-- Now a Wiki! "Polaris leers down from the black vault, winking hideously like an insane watching eye which strives to convey some strange message, yet recalls nothing save that it once had a message to convey." --- HP Lovecraft. "I single Aran out due to his nasty temperament, and his superior intellect." --- SupaNik Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
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This Side Towards Enemy
Member # 3098
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written Friday, November 12 2004 08:15
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I certainly wouldn't do it for 1 person. I'd be doubtful for a small group of people, but by the time we're in double figures, there's a hole in Joe where his cerebral cortex used to be. -------------------- Voice of Reasonable Morality Posts: 961 | Registered: Thursday, June 12 2003 07:00 |