- #1
dratsab
- 36
- 0
So, I'm reading "The Big Questions" by Steven E. Landsburg, and when he talks about whether it is right or not to push someone in front of a minecart to save five other people, that there was a moral obligation to sacrifice one. Also, in the movie Unthinkable, a similar situation is presented. I suppose I am somewhat of a mix between a Unitarian and a deontologist, but I just don't understand the point of a mathematical morality. The most happiness for the most people? I'm not sure I really see the point. Suffering in just one person, is still suffering. And is it better for five people to feel slightly bad or for one person to feel completely horrible?
I guess I'm going to ramble a little bit in this, just to vent all my questions and views about this. For example, what is the goal of morality, happiness or progress of society? I don't know if I would be willing to let one person die so that five may live, but I may be willing to let one person die so that we have a cure for cancer... or even if it brought us more efficient technology; however, I would feel more guilty about letting the person die than by passing up the chance for new technology (even the cure for cancer). Due to this guilt, I would assume that I would be going against my views on morality, but then wouldn't most people feel more guilty killing someone directly, than indirectly letting five people die?
I feel that, currently... and I may change my mind later, that the best option for a moral choice is the one that makes us feel less guilty. Of course, there is the problem of people who feel no guilt, so maybe I should rephrase what I mean by stating: I think people should take the route that avoids them directly causing negative outcomes to happen. This means that you can kill someone (or more than one) if they are threatening the life of an innocent person, but you cannot kill an innocent person to save the lives of more innocent people. So, I suppose I'm a utilitarian that refuses to make sacrifices for the "greater good".
EDIT: Is it better to kill five drifters than it is to kill one person with a big family that will miss them?
I guess I'm going to ramble a little bit in this, just to vent all my questions and views about this. For example, what is the goal of morality, happiness or progress of society? I don't know if I would be willing to let one person die so that five may live, but I may be willing to let one person die so that we have a cure for cancer... or even if it brought us more efficient technology; however, I would feel more guilty about letting the person die than by passing up the chance for new technology (even the cure for cancer). Due to this guilt, I would assume that I would be going against my views on morality, but then wouldn't most people feel more guilty killing someone directly, than indirectly letting five people die?
I feel that, currently... and I may change my mind later, that the best option for a moral choice is the one that makes us feel less guilty. Of course, there is the problem of people who feel no guilt, so maybe I should rephrase what I mean by stating: I think people should take the route that avoids them directly causing negative outcomes to happen. This means that you can kill someone (or more than one) if they are threatening the life of an innocent person, but you cannot kill an innocent person to save the lives of more innocent people. So, I suppose I'm a utilitarian that refuses to make sacrifices for the "greater good".
EDIT: Is it better to kill five drifters than it is to kill one person with a big family that will miss them?