Would you kill a million people to save the world?

SoWatchaWant · 19-07-2009 11:23PM #1

Just read Watchmen, and it kinda deals with this.

In it, a powerful public figure stages a massive hoax-he kills half of New York by teleporting a genetically tailored monster, made to look like an alien, into Manhattan, killing 5 million or something.

The idea is, it's supposed to look like an alien attack, so that the nuclear arms race stops and world peace follows (this was written during the Cold War), as the nations now have a united front

Basically, would you kill an innocent life, to save many more? It's the most challenging moral concept I've ever entertained, tbh. .

What do yee think

thelordofcheese · 19-07-2009 11:26PM

Do it?

I did it 35 minutes ago.

GLaDOS · 19-07-2009 11:28PM

I accidently the whole population

orestes · 19-07-2009 11:29PM

From a consequentialist stand-point the answer would be definitely, the end justifies the means.

Stalin killed millions of his own countrymen, directly and indirectly, for what he felt to be for the greater good of Russia (wel, that was the official line on it anyway).

From a human rights point of view the answer would be no, and amnesty international would go frigging mental if they found out about it.

Personally, I don't think I could do it.

Takk · 19-07-2009 11:31PM

Spoiler

Coriolanus · 19-07-2009 11:32PM

For the record, I'd like to think I could do it.

A more interesting question would be though, would you sacrifice yourself along with the few million, to save the world?

Diabhal Beag · 19-07-2009 11:35PM

I would kill the entire Roscommon population to save the rest of the world :pac:

Aodan83 · 19-07-2009 11:36PM

Nevore wrote: »

A more interesting question would be though, would you sacrifice yourself along with the few million, to save the world?

I don't think I could kill the few million in the first place. There's no way I could kill myself whilke I was at it.

Dartz · 19-07-2009 11:37PM

Sure.

5 million for 5 billion. Fair trade.
That's 0.1%. Statistically **** all.

Reduce it to numbers and it becomes a very easy question to answer. Gimme the button and I'll push it. Just shoot the bastard with the mask first.

Remember. 1 death is a tragedy. 1 million is a statistic.

Tar.Aldarion · 19-07-2009 11:38PM

No, I'm more of a deontologist.

The Big Red Button · 19-07-2009 11:40PM

No. Simple as.

Also, consider this one ...

Ruu_Old · 19-07-2009 11:55PM

We need one man to save us all, he even has a boards account! He is just your average Joe Public,

The_Citizen

.

galwayrush · 19-07-2009 11:57PM

Ruu wrote: »

We need one man to save us all, he even has a boards account! He is just your average Joe Public,
The_Citizen
.

As in offering him as a human sacrifice or something?.............Or as a super hero?

dresden8 · 20-07-2009 12:08AM

Meh.

Star Trek already did it in "Conscience of the King"

But yes.

If I was sure.

And it hardly sci-fi or anything. The guys who order air strikes do this sh1t every day.

1 death is a tragedy, 1 million is a statistic.

Pompey Magnus · 20-07-2009 12:17AM

But if you are doing it to save the world then i don't see what the dilemma is, those people would die in either case (assuming that is what the question is getting at), so all you are doing is killing them a little sooner so that everyone else gets alot longer to live. I would be worried if a person in power who might have to make this call would even pause to think about it.

Professey Chin · 20-07-2009 12:19AM

Dartz wrote: »

Remember. 1 death is a tragedy. 1 million is a statistic.

Well hello Mr. Manson.Didnt know you were here

jaffa20 · 20-07-2009 12:21AM

A million, why stop at that

orestes · 20-07-2009 12:21AM

Ultimate Chin wrote: »

Well hello Mr. Manson.Didnt know you were here

It's a quote of Stalin that Manson used in the Fight Song, Manson didn't write the line

realmadrid · 20-07-2009 12:21AM

show me the button and I will gladly push it. Do I get a t shirt?

Nevyn · 20-07-2009 12:29AM

Yes but only if it's not random and I get to set the critea for those who die.

SoWatchaWant · 20-07-2009 12:33AM

Thaedydal wrote: »

Yes but only if it's not random and I get to set the critea for those who die.

Hmmm, what would they be?

phasers · 20-07-2009 12:36AM

what's your least favorite country: Italy or France?

Wossack · 20-07-2009 12:37AM

SoWatchaWant wrote: »

Hmmm, what would they be?

it'd probably be quicker to list criteria for those who get to live :pac:

Frankiestylee · 20-07-2009 12:40AM

Ah yeah, sure a million is only a drop in the global ocean.

Nevyn · 20-07-2009 12:46AM

Wossack wrote: »

it'd probably be quicker to list criteria for those who get to live :pac:

What anyone who is not on one of my lists or is blood kin to those on one of my lists?

GLaDOS · 20-07-2009 12:50AM

phasers wrote: »

what's your least favorite country: Italy or France?

Pfft, France

WeeBushy · 20-07-2009 12:52AM

Nevore wrote: »

For the record, I'd like to think I could do it.

A more interesting question would be though, would you sacrifice yourself along with the few million, to save the world?

Funny thing is id sacrifice myself with very little hesitation to save the world, but ask me to kill someone else...

thelordofcheese · 20-07-2009 12:59AM

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Pfft, France

nobody ever says italy.....

K-9 · 20-07-2009 01:06AM

Torchwood solved this one. Done and dusted.

thebossanova · 20-07-2009 01:30AM

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few...

kowloon · 20-07-2009 01:33AM

Do you think we'll get away with it though? because frankly, I'm worried this could come back to bite me.

Would you kill a million people to save the world?

Comments