Recently I heard about the most fascinating college course! I don't remember the course name or which university was offering it but the gist of it was discussing how you'd act in certain situations and what influences your decisions.
I want to take this course!
Since that's not possible at this precise moment, let's have our own discussion. What if you're driving a car, the brakes go out, and you have absolutely no choice but to hit one of two groups. Either you can turn left and hit one person or you can turn right and hit five people. Which do you choose?
It's fairly clear cut that you'd probably choose left and hitting only one person. However, let's add some new factors. What if that one person were your own child and the group of five was strangers? Would that change your answer? What if the one person were a small child and the group of five is a prison chain gang? Does that change your answer? Why? What if the one person were your child but the group of five was your five best friends who also had young children still at home?
Do we put different values on various people's lives?
I remember my obstetrician (on my pregnancy after Alec) asked if I wanted an amnio to determine if this child also had Down syndrome (the odds were extremely slim). I said no because I wouldn't do anything differently if the child had Down syndrome. I'd still choose to have the child. The doctor asked me if something were to go wrong and the choice had to be made between my life and the baby's then would I want to know if the baby had Down syndrome. I thought it was an interesting question but still didn't think I'd want the Down syndrome to factor in to the decision.
However, let's add a similar twist to the car problem above. What if the group of five were all mentally challenged or in wheelchairs? Would that influence your decision?
Let's hear what you have to say. Comments please!
4 weeks ago
Good questions Marvelle - answers, I believe, will be personal. For some there would be no moral dilemma in turning to the right(if all had various individuals had disabilities) because much of the world is calloused and don't value people with disabilities as making a significant and needed contribution to the world. Others would turn to the left regardless of the individual there......still others, would search frantically for a third choice that would, perhaps, save both groups and injury only themselves. Interesting and thought provoking.....
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. Here are the instant choices that came to my mind. I'm not including what I thought after considering for a few minutes, because that's beside the point. This is a decision that is made in an instant. My blanket answer is that in most of the situations I would hit the one individual. So much less needless loss of life. Imagining myself in the moment, I just can't imagine myself steering into the crowd.
ReplyDeleteI think I would hit 5 strangers over my own child. I think. My child vs. friends? I just don't know.
I definitely think that we put different values on others' lives.
Actually, I know exactly what I would do in that instant. I would slam on the brake (brakes are out, I know. Reflex.), take my hands off the wheel, and put my them over my eyes and send up a prayer. This is so a moment for a higher power to be calling the shots. It reminds me of the country song with the line, "Jesus, take the wheel."
Julie