Poll: A moral dilemma - kill ten to save yourself?
- Thread starter awesomeClaw
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I'd kill myself. OK I'll give you 3 reasons.
First, I'd probably surrender a couple years of my life for the painless death alone.
Second, I have moderate empathy so 10 people suffering would be too much for me. (However, if 10 had to share half my pain for something I'd most likely be ok with that.)
Third, since the person responsible is more likely to get away and do it all again if I don't that's a big incentive.
This is all coming from a non-religious, no belief in afterlife, atheist kind of guy who wants to live and would definitely go for life extension.
But of coarse in reality it could be very different. I can only come up with the best approximation possible. But since it's a painless death the fear factor probably wouldn't be enough to change my mind.
First, I'd probably surrender a couple years of my life for the painless death alone.
Second, I have moderate empathy so 10 people suffering would be too much for me. (However, if 10 had to share half my pain for something I'd most likely be ok with that.)
Third, since the person responsible is more likely to get away and do it all again if I don't that's a big incentive.
This is all coming from a non-religious, no belief in afterlife, atheist kind of guy who wants to live and would definitely go for life extension.
But of coarse in reality it could be very different. I can only come up with the best approximation possible. But since it's a painless death the fear factor probably wouldn't be enough to change my mind.
It really depends on the decency of the strangers. If they were guidos or white trash I would certainly value myself over the strangers.
I think this is one of those situations where you can't ever know for usre what you'd do until you're actually living out the situation, which (hopefully) nobody will ever have to do.
I THINK I'd probably not be able to face hearing the people burn, so I'd kill myself and let the others live.
I THINK I'd probably not be able to face hearing the people burn, so I'd kill myself and let the others live.
Your conversation reminds me of Lord of the Flies. You must be most like Piggy.AccursedTheory said:
The voice might also be lying about everything else. Maybe the workings of the buttons are the other way around. Maybe if you don't press a button in 1 second it's phosphorus for everyone! Usually in these moral dilemmas it is assumed that you have absolute knowledge of the outcomes of your choices, so that you can make an informed decision, instead of trying to figure out what is actually going on.zehydra said:
Anyway, in this scenario, I'd definitely kill myself. It is obviously the right choice and I don't care that much anyway. It may be difficult to really press the button, but that would also be the case if I was going to press the other one.
But I have to admit that the method of death is probably a big factor for me. I would prefer instant death, but otherwise the painless method described doesn't sound so bad. But if I would burn to death instead (especially if the alternative would be painless deaths for those 10 others), I'm afraid that that would really change things. Doing the right thing when it means quietly going to sleep (and never waking up) is one thing, pushing a button that will cause me excruciating pain and then death is another.
No, my mother just brought me up to be a reasonably decent person, I guess.Littlee300 said:
Or maybes it's because I've SEEN rape, I've SEEN cowardice, and both disgust me to a point to where I'd rather end myself then be part of it.
