Can Morality Survive in a Life or Death Dilemma?

[DaveC426913]

This situation is different though. Because I have a means to contain you and attempt to stop you. As well there has been no reason to suspect you of actually carrying out these thoughts. Like from reading your posts ect. you seem intelligent and not ill-natured so if you had came to me and said that I would probably laugh and buy you a couple drinks or something. ;)

So, it's not a purely black & white scenario. This is what I'm sayin'.

I think the major difference in the situations though is that the madman has ALREADY set his plans into motion (he has somehow hijacked 2 boats and placed explosives on them, we think, and has everything set up) so it kind of gives him more credibility to doing the deed or at least expecting something to come out of it. And the madman in question is the Joker and we all know his character :P

If we're going to go on the Joker's character then I propose two even more likely outcomes:
1] he blows up our boat anyway, just for giggles
2] he wires up our trigger to blow up our boat, again, just for giggles.

This last one is particularly ironic, as it would punish those who are most selfish in preserving their own lives.