How shall we live, as individuals in
the face of decisions about right versus wrong? How shall we handle those
occasions when none of the choices are attractive? Consider the following
ethical dilemma and create a reflection blog regarding what you would do when
having to make a choice in each train scenario. Justify your position and
create a synopsis of your position and the implications.
A train is hurtling down the track where five children are standing. You are the switchperson. By throwing the switch, you can put the train
on a side track where one child is standing.
Will you throw the switch?
There are only two options in this case and neither is attractive.
That may be a gross understatement considering
the outcomes of each decision.
Do I
throw the switch to save five children but live with the fact I essentially
murdered a child?
Or do I stand there and
make a choice to do nothing and allow the five children to be killed?
As difficult as it may be, I would choose to throw
the switch to save the five children.
This action would not come easily, but sacrificing one life to save five
lives seems like the lesser of the two evils.
From an ethical standpoint, I do struggle with wondering what would give
me the right to determine whose lives are spared and whose are not.
Nevertheless, for the sake of the exercise, a
decision has to be made.
Same scenario except:
You are standing next to an
elderly man. If you push him in front of the train it will stop the train and
all the children will be saved. Will you push him?
If I am willing to sacrifice a child to save five children, I would
sacrifice an elderly man.
The difference
in this scenario is obviously the age difference of the person being
sacrificed, but also the manner in which I have to carry out the act.
The first scenario was throwing a switch and
this scenario is physically pushing someone with the intent on killing
them.
They are different methods, but
they have the same result.
So throwing a
switch or pushing someone will still make me equally guilty of killing
them.
I could use the rationale that the
elderly man has lived a long life and he does not have a lot of life to live,
but my decision is based more on saving the most people possible.
And it also does help that those people are
innocent children.
Same scenario except:
The one child on the side track
is your child. Will you throw the switch to save the five children?
I would unequivocally, without any doubt in my mind, not throw the switch to
save the five children.
I still stand by
my decisions made in the previous scenarios, but a variable which cannot be
ignored was added to this scenario.
I
have an undeniable love and bond with my child and would do anything to save
his life.
If that meant sacrificing
others in a situation where someone would be killed regardless of any decision,
then so be it.
That may sound heartless
and cruel, but I am just being brutally honest.
And I believe those with children can relate and understand, and maybe
even those without children can try to understand.
The thought of being responsible for anyone’s
death is difficult to comprehend and deciding who lives and dies weighs heavily
on me even in these hypothetical scenarios. However, again for the sake of this
exercise, decisions need to be made.
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