1. You are the night watchman at a pediatric hospital. An accident in the ventilation system has caused deadly fumes to enter the air ducts, headed straight for a ward with five children. If you do nothing, the fumes will kill them. If you hit a switch, the fumes will be redirected toward a room with a single child. Should you hit the switch?
2. You're a doctor. You have five patients who will die without organ transplants, and one healthy patient who could provide those organs. Is it morally acceptable to sacrifice him in order to save the other five?
If you'd like to subject your sense of morality to further critical scrutiny, take this test.
2. You're a doctor. You have five patients who will die without organ transplants, and one healthy patient who could provide those organs. Is it morally acceptable to sacrifice him in order to save the other five?
If you'd like to subject your sense of morality to further critical scrutiny, take this test.
posted by howtolive.org at
9:24 AM
1 Comments:
This is not the same situation.
In situation 1, there is only one way to save the five children, and that is to redirect the fumes to the one other child.
In situation 2, sacrificing a healthy patient could save five others.
The difference is that in situation 2, there are MANY healthy people who qualify, so there is more than one alternative. You actually have the choice to ask that healthy patient if he is willing to give up his organs... and if not, you can find others. Strapped for time? Then take up self-sacrifice and give your own organs.
Again, those situations are different and should not be portrayed as the same.
By
Clayton, at 5:54 PM
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