Would You Kill The Fat Guy

pavb2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problem

I know this is a philosophical question but would like to hear the everyday Ah opinions.

On many threads on boards there seem to be moral dilemmas, torture of prisoners to reveal information that may save lives or reveal information (Unsolved Mysteries). I think in certain cases it has to be justified for example if someone has planted a bomb about to go off and won't reveal whereabouts

The bombing of Japan and Dresden did it ultimately save more lives (a question we will never answer definitively). Guantanemo bay rendition etc etc

So would you sacrifice one life to save the life of strangers,what if that one life was your mother.

Logical Fallacy

Most people wouldn't be strong enough to move the fat man.

Physics > Philosophy.

Chuck Stone

Fatty dies.

Andromeda_111

eh, no

Eric Cartman

the fat man is not a part of the situation in its original condition , the situation whether 1 or 5 people die is the only two suitable options, preferably the 1 person as in this situation the insurance cost would be lower for the rail company and it wouldnt hurt their profits as much.

DeleveleD

Yes.

stupidusername

this is really interesting stuff! of course I couldn't give an answer to the scenarios. I think the act of killing someone deliberately even though you know the benefits may be harder than you might assume, despite the logic behind it.

Gummy Panda

I would ask the fat man has he got some fried chicken and we would watch the scene together.

amacachi

I'd be the fat guy.

Andromeda_111

amacachi wrote: »

I'd be the fat guy.

:pac:

Kevin Duffy

I've developed some love handles lately, so I'd throw myself in front of the train. Well, I would if I wasn't in the buffet car.

Gummy Panda

amacachi wrote: »

I'd be the fat guy.

Have you got some fried chicken to share?

RachaelVO

WOW, that's head melting!

As far as I'm concerned, I'm just gonna keep outta the way of the mad philosopher!

Temptamperu

What was it Spock said in the wrath of kahn? :pac:

BBDBB

Temptamperu wrote: »

What was it Spock said in the wrath of kahn? :pac:

Any more Goblin jokes and Im gonna kick your feckin teeth in Bones?

starbelgrade

I'd eat anything if I was hungry enough.

Or anyone, come to think of it.

Chuck Stone

I'd quickly divert the train towards fatser but I couldn't push the fat brute offa bridge in front of a train - too murderey.

dr.bollocko

This is the modern world.

Ain't nobody gonna even notice the fat man next to them on a train because they'll be too goddamn busy trying to film the gore on their poxy iphones.

lastlaugh

It is morally wrong to push the fat man onto the track, even if it means saving five.

It would be morally acceptable (for me) to flip a switch to save the five over Fatso.

Dotrel

Temptamperu wrote: »

What was it Spock said in the wrath of kahn? :pac:

"The Kobayashi Maru scenario frequently wreaks havoc on students and equipment. As I recall you took the test three times yourself. Your final solution was, shall we say, unique? "

I'm sorry but I don't see how that applies to this particular debate.

mattjack

pavb2 wrote: »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problem

I know this is a philosophical question but would like to hear the everyday Ah opinions. .

On many threads on boards there seem to be moral dilemmas, torture of prisoners to reveal information that may save lives or reveal information (Unsolved Mysteries). I think in certain cases it has to be justified for example if someone has planted a bomb about to go off and won't reveal whereabouts

The bombing of Japan and Dresden did it ultimately save more lives (a question we will never answer definitively). Guantanemo bay rendition etc etc

So would you sacrifice one life to save the life of strangers,what if that one life was your mother.

opinions in here ?

Saila

is it a trolly or a train

longhalloween

Push the fat man?

Of course I'd do it, and I have done it on numerous occasions.

Capt'n Midnight

There is no risk to yourself in flicking a switch.

Trying to push a fat bloke off a bridge ? He could kill you in self defense.


In reality there is no moral argument
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necessity_in_English_law

This defence was used in the early trial of Regina v. Dudley & Stephens (1884) 14 QBD 273 DC, where four shipwrecked sailors were cast adrift in a small boat without provisions. To save themselves, the three strongest decided to eat the fourth, the 17 year-old cabin boy. The court ruled that cannibalising the boy was not urgently necessary. Even though the cabin boy would almost certainly have died of natural causes, the sailors killed the boy intentionally and were guilty of murder. There was some degree of necessity arising from the threat of starvation but, at any moment, a ship could have sailed over the horizon to save them as, indeed, the three were rescued. Since they could never be sure that the killing was actually necessary from one minute to the next, the defence was denied. Cannibalism itself is not an offence so long as the death occurs naturally.

...
The principles from this case form the basis of the defence of necessity not being available for murder.

In other words as long as there was any possibility of the tram being stopped by any other method whatsoever then pushing the fat guy off the bridge would be murder, even to save your own life. So even if you could pull a rope attached to the fat guy it would still be wrong.

ScumLord

I'd flip the switch over and back in rapid succession until it blew a fuse in the railway system thus stopping the train.

Capt'n Midnight

Bombing of Dresden and Japan did not save more lives.

In the case of Japan US submarines had blocked the flow of oil and other resources and famine soon have reduced the capability of the remaining forces.

Though perhaps it did save some of the lives of the one million plus Japanese captured by the Russians. When Stalingrad was surrounded 300,000 Germans were trapped. By the surrender 91,000 were left. Only 5,000 of those survived the labour camps where many were kept into the 1950's

Stinicker

Now first off all I'd need to know if this was Irish Rail we were talking about; because if so we'd need to ask the union and get a consultative report drawn up first based on fare increase before going back to not doing any real work or having anything like customer service or company ethics.

jackie1974

Who decided the guy on his own was fat ?