Comments on: Who to kill http://www.droug.co.uk/who-to-kill.html Doug Scott's thoughts and opinions Sat, 03 Jul 2010 10:07:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Paul http://www.droug.co.uk/who-to-kill.html/comment-page-1#comment-1418 Paul Mon, 24 Nov 2008 23:55:08 +0000 http://www.droug.co.uk/?p=940#comment-1418 To deal with hero's point, the question about the runaway train is usually stated in the form that you are by the lever of a set of points and the tram (or train) is out of control. Which not only deals with the "emergency brake" issue but also the fact that drivers of trams (or trains) cannot normally control the points. The companion question is usually that there's a big fat guy on a railway bridge. Runaway train, people on track, if you push the guy off the bridge he'll cause the train to stop. Highly implausible, and I prefer a guy in a SUV that you can nudge off the bridge with your car. One person against five, same as before. Most people feel that deliberately killing one guy in this situation is wrong. I don't, I'd push the bastard. I agree with hero about Bill. It's not an emergency. You can ask Bill if he'd like to volunteer. And it's possible that Bill is the guy who is about to bring about nukular disarmament AND find a cure for AIDS, whereas the five people needing transplants are all worthless tossers. In the tram/train scenario you don't have the time to investigate if that one life is worth more than the other five put fogether. For example, Bush, Cheney, Libby, Mukasey and Gonzalez versus some homeless meths drinker is a no brainer - you save the meths drinker. To deal with hero’s point, the question about the runaway train is usually stated in the form that you are by the lever of a set of points and the tram (or train) is out of control. Which not only deals with the “emergency brake” issue but also the fact that drivers of trams (or trains) cannot normally control the points.

The companion question is usually that there’s a big fat guy on a railway bridge. Runaway train, people on track, if you push the guy off the bridge he’ll cause the train to stop. Highly implausible, and I prefer a guy in a SUV that you can nudge off the bridge with your car. One person against five, same as before. Most people feel that deliberately killing one guy in this situation is wrong. I don’t, I’d push the bastard.

I agree with hero about Bill. It’s not an emergency. You can ask Bill if he’d like to volunteer. And it’s possible that Bill is the guy who is about to bring about nukular disarmament AND find a cure for AIDS, whereas the five people needing transplants are all worthless tossers. In the tram/train scenario you don’t have the time to investigate if that one life is worth more than the other five put fogether. For example, Bush, Cheney, Libby, Mukasey and Gonzalez versus some homeless meths drinker is a no brainer – you save the meths drinker.

]]> By: hero http://www.droug.co.uk/who-to-kill.html/comment-page-1#comment-1417 hero Sun, 23 Nov 2008 09:33:31 +0000 http://www.droug.co.uk/?p=940#comment-1417 I hate these questions cause I feel compelled to answer... In all the above cases, it's either not your decision, or you have another option which is not offered: *Whether Bill lives or dies donating his organs is his decision *The decision to kill one or all is a group decision and someone will volunteer, that's guaranteed *You can pull the emergency brake I hate these questions cause I feel compelled to answer…

In all the above cases, it’s either not your decision, or you have another option which is not offered:
*Whether Bill lives or dies donating his organs is his decision
*The decision to kill one or all is a group decision and someone will volunteer, that’s guaranteed
*You can pull the emergency brake

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