Ethical question? Raised in my Class...?

Question

We had an ethical question raised in my (ethics) class. I was wondering what people thought. Read and answer it in sequence.

Question 1.

Suppose you were on a bus and stopped by some militant group. There are 50 people including you. The leader of the group chooses you, and you have to make a decision. Either you kill one person yourself, or they kill everyone, but not before they torture them. What do you choose? Take note, no one can volunteer for the death, and you can not volunteer yourself.

Question 2.

You're in the same situation,  but you have to choose to torture the person before killing them.

Question 3.

Same situation, but the person you must kill and torture is your child. 


So, does your choice ever change? At what point?

joey97501 · Accepted Answer

For me it seems pretty simple. I can not control what others do even if they base their actions off mine. For example if I do kill someone but it takes to long maybe they will kill the whole bus anyways. Or if I don't kill someone and they laugh because they never intended to kill anyone anyways. I don't know because I can't control their actions. However, I can control my actions. I wouldn't kill anyone except my self. Not even if they threatened to kill a child. I also couldn't torture anyone. 

That said if there where other factors, For example maybe I am starving or have been torture myself I can not say what I would do. I don't think anyone can say unless they had been in that situation them selves. But in my present mind I wouldn't and couldn't kill one person to save a million.

? · Answer

I think I'd stick with the Utilitarian choice on all points.  It seems to create the least amount of harm.

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Ethical question? Raised in my Class...?

2 Answers