In our class we will explore texts from Greek drama and philosophy, as well as biblical passages and world literature, to examine the importance of the individual's struggle in the search for the Good Life. Here in this blog, we will question the concepts of “courage,” “free speech” and “civil disobedience” as well as attempting to discover the characteristics of the hero/martyr/saint.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Moral Action and Trolleys
Okay I read this article and thought of you guys....
"This is the difference between directly impacting somebody with one’s muscles— pushing them, for example—compared to flicking a switch." Honestly, I'm with the 99% who would flick the switch but would not push the fat man. When I read this article, I thought in legal terms. Legally, hiring someone to commit murder carries less charge than actually killing the person yourself. Similarly, aiding and abetting carries less charge than actually committing the crime itself. I think this relates to the Spur and Fat Man problem. People tend to think that the first act is acceptable because you are not killing the person with your own hands. This was just very intriguing to me.
HAHA! I loved this article, it was very interesting. My opinions differ a bit from majority's. I think that in all cases it would be ok, if not morally acceptable, but ok because in all cases, it is sacrificing one life for five. In a actual situation, i probably would not be able to think fast enough to make a moral decisions, the numbers will tell.
"This is the difference between directly impacting somebody with one’s muscles— pushing them, for example—compared to flicking a switch." Honestly, I'm with the 99% who would flick the switch but would not push the fat man. When I read this article, I thought in legal terms. Legally, hiring someone to commit murder carries less charge than actually killing the person yourself. Similarly, aiding and abetting carries less charge than actually committing the crime itself. I think this relates to the Spur and Fat Man problem. People tend to think that the first act is acceptable because you are not killing the person with your own hands. This was just very intriguing to me.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very intriguing article. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYou should ask the trolly questions in class.
HAHA! I loved this article, it was very interesting. My opinions differ a bit from majority's. I think that in all cases it would be ok, if not morally acceptable, but ok because in all cases, it is sacrificing one life for five. In a actual situation, i probably would not be able to think fast enough to make a moral decisions, the numbers will tell.
ReplyDelete