Ethics 101 with Professor Ricky

[Steamboat Ricky]

I've decided to open up a general discussion about various topics of ethics in this thread, hoping to spark up some conversation. This will deal not only with the ethics behind certain establishments (abortion, homosexuality, etc.), but I also hope to discuss more broadly things such as situational ethics, rule-based ethics, virtue ethics, and others. We'll see how this goes.


To begin, I'll start with the age-old scenario:


There are three people (one being you) in a boat out in the middle of the Atlantic. However, a hole busts open in the boat, damaging the boat to where it can only legitimately hold two people. If two people remain on the boat, the likelihood of both surviving and making it to land is about 98%, while the likelihood of all 3 members of the boat making it back safely on the boat are very slim...20%. Even tagging along on the outside of the boat could prove deadly for the party. Thus, one may need to be left behind. What do you do?


I would personally offer myself to stay and take one for the betterment of the other two...for religious and spiritual purposes. Jesus said to lay down one's life down for his friends...and well, I also believe that Jesus died for MY salvation. Thus, if I was to strive to be like Jesus, I would need to offer myself up so that others may live. Right?


EDIT: Although this is my "ethical position," being in the situation itself may yield different results. One would have to take man's natural instict to survive into account, as well as feelings like selfishness.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

I'd have to see on the day. Maybe I'd be in a slight mood and I'd either be all for getting munched on by a couple of sharks, or I'd offer up my cohorts.

Who am I with? Am I with family or friends? if so then it's a given that I'll get out of the boat. Amd I with people I don't know, don't like? If so why would I get out of the boat? Would I make the decision to save the two people who served the most purpose in this world? Would I have to wrestle one person out and as a result fuck up the boat for all of us?

 

[HBK-aholic]

There are about 6 people in this world I'd give my life up for. If I was in the boat with any of those people then yes I'd volunteer myself to be left behind. Because there are some people I wouldn't want to live my life without, and if I left one of them behind I'd probably end up killing myself anyway.

However, if it was with someone I don't care about, or know, what makes their life worth any more than mine? Nothing. So it'd probably turn out to be a struggle unless one of the other 2 volunteered to get out. And it's not selfish. I have people that need me that I wouldn't be able to leave.

 

[Dark Blaze]

Totally depends on who I'm in the boat with and the mood I'm in. If I'm in a boat with two of my closest family members and friends, then I'd stay, if it's someone that's family and old, well I'd hope they'd be selfless enough to realize that I haven't lived a ripe life like they have, lol. However, I can't really say because I'm not actually in the situation, however, unless it's someone I detest...and I don't detest anyone. I can't see myself letting someone sacrifice themselves like that. That'd be some killer survivor's guilt to live with.

 

[Matt Phoenix]

Well I agree with alot of the others in that there is only about half a dozen people I would give myself up for so to speak but outside that, yeah I would have no qualms about throwing them out. The will to survive is a powerful emotion and I honestly dont think I could or would override it.

If that makes me a bad person than I dont really care, you asked for honesty and that is my response, also if after we got saved and the chance to sell my story presented itself than I would also take that offer up especially if it meant going on Oprah. Seriously.

 

[Tim]

As with a lot of the others, it really depends on who I was with. But unless I really hated the person in the boat or didn't know them, I would probably let myself be left behind, as I think I am a generally nice person and I usually help others out a lot.

This is what I say now, but if it actually happened I can not say what I would do, as there's a difference between saying something and doing something. However, i tend to not be very good at standing up for myself and i would eventually end up being left behind, unless i was strongly against it.

 

[Steamboat Ricky]

There are about 6 people in this world I'd give my life up for. If I was in the boat with any of those people then yes I'd volunteer myself to be left behind. Because there are some people I wouldn't want to live my life without, and if I left one of them behind I'd probably end up killing myself anyway.

However, if it was with someone I don't care about, or know, what makes their life worth any more than mine? Nothing. So it'd probably turn out to be a struggle unless one of the other 2 volunteered to get out. And it's not selfish. I have people that need me that I wouldn't be able to leave.

How is that not selfish?

You are already questioning someone else's personal worth in comparison to your own, and to tack on to that, you are professing that you have people that NEED YOU. You are choosing something that YOU'VE decided is important and pursuing it. While it may not be directly advantageous to you, it is still based on a choice as to what you think is right, noble, or best as opposed to what someone else may value.

Now, that being said...I am of the opinion that EVERYTHING we do is selfish. So don't look at it in terms of me trying to bash your values. I just wanted to highlight the words used.

 

[Shocky]

Well if we're talking about two strangers, I have no problem with self preservation, therefore, I kill someone and head back to land. At least in my mind that's how it works, now in the real world scenario, who knows. For me, I don't know these two people, chances are I'll never see them again if we do make it to land. I have no emotional connection with him or his life or things he holds dearly. I have what I have in my mind. I know what I'm going to lose, and I know what I need to do. So in theory, I have no problem doing what needs to be done to ensure myself getting home safely.

I suppose it's no different then the Alive folks having to eat the dead bodies to stay alive. So what if you had to perform cannibalism, if you didn't, you'd be dead.

 

[HBK-aholic]

How is that not selfish?

It's not selfish because I wouldn't exactly be doing it for myself. If there was no one in this world that depended on me for anything, I'd be the first to offer myself up for being left behing. However there are people in this world that need me.

 

[Steamboat Ricky]

It's not selfish because I wouldn't exactly be doing it for myself. If there was no one in this world that depended on me for anything, I'd be the first to offer myself up for being left behing. However there are people in this world that need me.

Yes, it would be "selfish." You are deeming that those who "need" you take priority over others' potential situations. By making this choice, you are placing yourself (to be exact...YOUR convictions) ahead of others'.

Like I said, I'm not looking at selfishness as a negative, I'm just looking at it as what it is.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Yea fuck it, id jump in the water. "So that others may live" is a prospective tattoo im thinking of getting. Ive always been of the opinion that its better off being me, than someone else. There would be little to no people effected by me being dead. And ive made a purposefull effort for things to be that way. Im sure many more people would be affected by the death of the others, as the amount of folks TRULY affected by me dying would be lie...three...or some shit...and they would get over it. And as ive said, that is something ive arranged on purpose.

I mean me personally...ive seen pretty much all ends of the spectrum, done things most humans can only dream of, saved people, changed things in the world. So fuck it, ive lived. Me sacrificing myself may have a ridiculous impact on these folks. May inspire them to do amazing things.

And not leaving out the fact that I am a man of immense faith. I would honestly jump into that water fully beliving I still had a decent chance of living. Or at least die quickly and painlessly. and even if I didnt, fuck it, ill be dead, so no more worrying about pain.

I would save the others. without hesitation.

 

[Luther_Hull]

I know it's morally correct to say I'd jump overboard. But like fuck I would, I'm going to look after number one.

I'd stay with three of us in the boat. If I were close friends that I was in the boat with then I doubt I'd be able to live with myself letting one of them go, and I doubt they'd be able to live with themselves knowing I'd sacrificed myself. So I'd take the 20% chance that we'd all survive, because we'd all be a lot happier afterwards, knowing we're not there because of someone else's sacrifice.

United we stand, united we fall.