Thread: Maemo Morality
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2010-04-19 , 19:55
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#103
Originally Posted by SavageD View Post

....bla, blah, blah...


Edit: I just realized that there is no true measure to the value of life, however life is to be highly valued. The one person separate person tied to the track would represent me. In this case I would have given my life to save the other five people.

In the case of the 'fat man', this fat man would also represent 'me', of course in this case I would not have liked to have been shoved unto the train tracks by some random person and of course I would have given up a fight.
Almost.

There is no true measure of the difference in the value of a particular life compared to another.

All life has value. Morally the value is the same whether it is 1, 5, or 11 million lives. The act of snuffing one out has the same moral consequences as hosing a million.

I would do nothing and live with that consequence rather than any of the other choices.
You have no control over a lot of factors and therefore can not predict the outcome with any certainty. Even if you could you are asked to make a value judgment based on what? How fat someone is?

What would change would be, as you suggested, if you were any of the affected actors and had the opportunity to make such decisions. Then, I believe your moral obligation is to do what you have to do in order to survive. But that's me thinking logically. I don't know if I would actually sacrifice myself for the good of the many.


The trap here is we are thinking if this then that. When there is a third choice... do nothing. "mu"
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