Immiment Death Question

[Kilroy_x]

Re: Immiment Death Question

But the point of the question is to choose either one. You dont have the decision not to do either. Your point is completley pointless. Even if you could decide to let the 5 people die. Why would you. When you can save more. This really isnt even something to question when the answer is so blatantly obvious.

I think you're just too biased to examine the issue from a nuetral perspective and understand my points. As I said before of the 2 my choice would be to let the 5 people die rather than to make the 1 person die.

Which team is the most justified?

For a person thinking logically, they might choose Team A. However, multiply all the numbers by 1,000, label Team A as Japan, and label Team B as the United States, set the time period and situation as World War II, and you might get all the bias of American pride in this country. The bias is to take care of ourselves first even if it means horrible treatment of others. We seem to dismiss this as meaningless and insignificant, which is really ignorant. I hate how many idiots think this way in my classes and such.

I love you.

Although the Japanese were certainly not faultless when it comes to the type of violence you're describing, they killed countless chinese civilians, as well as civilians in as far as I can tell every pacific island where they occupied. They also killed prisoners of war which was very much unneccesary.

[Chrissi]

Re: Immiment Death Question

I don't know how relevant others might perceive this as, but I think it was interesting.

I once had a dream where a little girl was about to get shot, but I jumped in front of her and took the bullet to save her. I didn't know this little girl at all but I saved her. I knew I was dying, and they were sending the paramedics to me, and the girl's mother was thanking me, but I was just laying there happy, in a daze, so content that I had done something good with my life. I hoped that the girl would realize that I sacrificed myself for her, and hoped she would move on to do big and amazing things.

I woke up before I died. I think I was in the ambulance.

[Izzi]

Re: Immiment Death Question

I think saving the 5 people is more of an unbiased thing to do. If you dont know anything about these people then it would still make more sense to save the larger group. But what your saying is your to lazy to save them so you are just going to let them die out of your own personal beleifs.

[Hepcat06]

Re: Immiment Death Question

I'm not sure I would do anything in any of those scenarios. In all of them, before I take the action events are unfolding as they would, and the people that will die will die as a result of already determined conditions, but as soon as I react even though I'm saving 5 people or what have you I'm also killing one. I'm not sure linear arithmatic should be trusted to show that the good I've done to outweigh the bad.

Am I duty bound to try and save these people? I don't see why. I don't even know what the circumstances are for why they're there. Maybe the five people tied to the railroad tracks are criminals facing vigilante justice and the one person was just a random guy who tried to stop the vigilante and was restrained.

If I did pull the lever I would also feel obligated to make some sort of attempt to save the individual guy in each circumstance, even at the cost of my own life.

Couldn't have said it any better myself.

The five people already there weren't put there because of me, but if i pull the lever, I myself am putting that one guy into that situation, therefore being the casue of his death. With the five people I am not the cause. I would have guilt hanging over me for a long time. Guilt more powerful than the thanks I get from those five people.

[claytonffrking]

Re: Immiment Death Question

i'd tell the single guy to go to hell and pull the lever

[Kilroy_x]

Re: Immiment Death Question

I think saving the 5 people is more of an unbiased thing to do. If you dont know anything about these people then it would still make more sense to save the larger group.

Well, let's assume in a modified scenario there are two completely different trains and train tracks, and I only have enough time to save 1 group. Then this makes sense. However, in the current scenario by "saving the larger group" I'm MURDERING A MAN.

But what your saying is your to lazy to save them so you are just going to let them die out of your own personal beleifs.

Laziness has absolutely nothing to do with it, it doesn't take any meaningful investment of energy to flip a switch, and yes I am letting them die out of my own personal beliefs, because after thinking through my beliefs I believe that is appropriate to do. Just as you would murder a man to save the five people out of your personal beliefs.

I find your personal beliefs both less thought out and much more reprehensible.

[FRANKKK]

Re: Immiment Death Question

This is a really good question. I would have to say that I would pull the lever, just because i would want to save more people.

[skyrunner06]

Re: Immiment Death Question

duh tell the people to move all lives saved

[GuidoHunter]

Re: Immiment Death Question

duh tell the people to move all lives saved

Keep that crap out of CT.

Same goes for clayton and monkeybomb.

--Guido

http://andy.mikee385.com

[Izzi]

Re: Immiment Death Question

I think not pressing the switch makes you personally responsible for murdering 5 people as well. So the real question is. Would you rather murder 1 person or murder 5 people. There is no way to argue over this so dont even try.

[Kilroy_x]

Re: Immiment Death Question

I agree, there's no arguing with you at all. No reasoning either. I'm glad you took the time to phrase the question in exactly the way I already showed as senseless and then yelling that phrasing as loudly as possible.

[Izzi]

Re: Immiment Death Question

Its not a senseless way to look at it. I think you are confused on how logic works.

[Kilroy_x]

Re: Immiment Death Question

Logic? As in A implies B iff C, ~C therefore ~B by negation and modus tollens? Seriously, waste someone elses time.

[Engler]

Re: Immiment Death Question

Actually, I think it is good for one to care about his neighbor's safety above his own. Not to the extent where it would be easy to save yourself and then help, though.

[Hepcat06]

Re: Immiment Death Question

I think not pressing the switch makes you personally responsible for murdering 5 people as well.

I really don't believe your murdering 5 people. You're just choosing not to save them. If Superman knew someone was in trouble and decided not to save them, even though he could, he wouldn't be the murderer. Same with the trains. I wasn't the one who put those people on the tracks. But if i chose to save them, then I'm the one who puts that one person on the tracks. There for I am the muderer!