Doing 'evil' To Prevent A Greater 'evil'

[DANZIG]

Consider a situation where you are trapped by a psychotic sadist. Before you are two children. He tells you that if you kill one of the children he will let the other one go. However, if you decline to kill either of the children he will murder both of them,and you believe him when he says this. What do you do? If you kill either child you are surely committing a terrible deed. But to decline from killing either child will mean that two innocent children die instead of one.

In a situation like this I think that most people's intuition about morality would make them say that killing one of the children isn't to do something that is right. Rather it is the lesser of two evils.

I wouldn't play the sick fucks game, he's no doubt going to kill them both and you into the bargain, there is no way you can trust him to let the other child go so my answer would be 'fuck you'

[Archangel]

Better example is 10 people hanging from a broken rope bridge, 3 must be cut loose to stop it breaking completely. Tick tock...

[Underwater]

alot would depend on what community :wink:

Oh DO please expand on that if you dare.

Don't be shy now.

[DANZIG]

Better example is 10 people hanging from a broken rope bridge, 3 must be cut loose to stop it breaking completely. Tick tock...

Fattest ones go first if it's my choice

[Guest grandad]

when faced with extreme fear, we move one way or another, depending which way you go makes you a coward or a hero, but it was just instinct.

[Archangel]

Better example is 10 people hanging from a broken rope bridge, 3 must be cut loose to stop it breaking completely. Tick tock...

Fattest ones go first if it's my choice

At a boy...

[Guest Nunsacred]

I love this sort of quiz where idealists get all upset and say they "couldn't kill anyone and oh it's all so horrible" - and end up therefore doing the cruellest thing.

[Cosmic Dick]

Or culling an overdominant species to help the rest of the ecosystem.

Us humans?

[ratdog]

Better example is 10 people hanging from a broken rope bridge, 3 must be cut loose to stop it breaking completely. Tick tock...

The final scene of the Italian Job spring to mind

E2a, I would shoot the child, it`s not often you get the excuse

Edited February 25, 2010 by ratdog

[joe hawkins]

shoot the terrorist inthe dick

joe

[Hir]

Or culling an overdominant species to help the rest of the ecosystem.

Us humans?

Must be us because in the natural world can you get an evil wolf (?) .. now I know Eddie Izzard maintains you can get bad dogs ...

[HvyFuel]

No such thing as an 'evil' animal. That's projecting human guilt upon animals that have no comprehension of the concept.

[Archangel]

Thank god/alien for that...

[Boojum]

Nah, comedy pics aside it's absolutely true. Good and evil are human concepts.

[Archangel]

yep, animals take only what they need, however you will see greed in packs etc which is interesting

eta

that didnt make sense did it

Edited February 26, 2010 by Archangel