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Others | 3 years ago

I feel like this is easier if you’re a non-lever-puller. If you think it’s wrong to pull the lever if it causes anyone’s death who wasn’t dying anyway, then most of these are easy.

Except the “you can’t see the track” one I suppose :P

discuss

order

dx034|3 years ago

I think it's never right to pull the lever, unless there aren't any humans on the other track. I'd sacrifice an animal or objects, but people should never be sacrificed for other people, unless they actively choose to.

implements|3 years ago

“You can’t treat another person as a means to an end in way that denies their fundamental human dignity” is how the principle was explained to me.

https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/German_Constitutional_Court_pro...

“The court also found that the act [shooting down hijacked plane] is incompatible with the constitutional right to life and the human dignity. The act would turn passengers and crew of a hijacked plane, victims themselves, into "objects" - not only to the terrorists, but also to the state, which does not have the authority to kill innocents. If their deaths would be used to save others they would be reduced to mere "things" at the pleasure of the state. Further, the court believes that the arguments of the federal government, saying that passengers in such a situation would die anyway, are invalid, as human lives deserve protection regardless of the expected duration of their existence and that it is impossible to fully assess the situation leading to an eventual invocation of the act.”

Hayarotle|3 years ago

Extreme situation that could be a counterexample to your claim:

Dr. Evil is 90 years old, his consciousness is slowly fading away, and he is going to die in a week. He is almost ready to release a bomb that will torture kill half of the world population. If you pull the lever Dr. Evil will die today and you will save all those people. You are the only one who can pull the lever. Do you pull the lever, or do you stick to your principle of not sacrificing other people who don't want to be sacrificed?

mperdemata|3 years ago

For me, pulling and not pulling the lever are the same. Both are actions. So I have to choose one of them.

Robotbeat|3 years ago

Easier but more people die.