Debates
21 Oct 05
21 Oct 05
Suppose there were a button, generally available for pressing by anyone who cared to press it.
This button is attached to a machine, with lots of whirring parts, and has a very long cable attached, that recedes into the distance...
Everytime you press the button, a £1 coin comes out of the slot below it. This is for you to keep. You can press the button as many times as you want.
There is a complication however.
The machine is attached by the cable to a bunch of innocent victims, held captive in some secret, inaccessible location. Moreover, when the button is pressed 1 million times (the machine keeps track of this, and resets its counter to zero every time this total is reached) one of the innocent victims get dispatched.
Question: Is it morally permissible to press the button?
21 Oct 05
Originally posted by PawnokeyholeYes.
Suppose there were a button, generally available for pressing by anyone who cared to press it.
This button is attached to a machine, with lots of whirring parts, and has a very long cable attached, that recedes into the distance...
Everytime you press the button, a £1 coin comes out of the slot below it. This is for you to keep. You can press the ...[text shortened]... the innocent victims get dispatched.
Question: Is it morally permissible to press the button?
I'd be happy with £999,999.
21 Oct 05
Originally posted by VargNote this phrase"...generally available for pressing by anyone who cared to press it."
Yes.
I'd be happy with £999,999.
You have to take into account that other people are liable to press the button too, and their number that could mount over time. Thus, if you pressed, and they pressed, and the number exceeded 1 million, you would be jointly at least partly causally responsible for the death of the person attached to the machine.
21 Oct 05
Originally posted by PawnokeyholeMore people would be "dispatched" fighting over pressing
Suppose there were a button, generally available for pressing by anyone who cared to press it.
This button is attached to a machine, with lots of whirring parts, and has a very long cable attached, that recedes into the distance...
Everytime you press the button, a £1 coin comes out of the slot below it. This is for you to keep. You can press the ...[text shortened]... the innocent victims get dispatched.
Question: Is it morally permissible to press the button?
the button then at the secret, inaccessible location.
21 Oct 05
Originally posted by xsOkay, slight scenario modification.
More people would be "dispatched" fighting over pressing
the button then at the secret, inaccessible location.
There are multiple terminals, featuring buttons and coins, widely distributed throughout society like phone boxes, all of which are connected back to a machine mainframe, which is itself connected to the unfortunate victims.
Now: Is it moral to press any of these buttons?
21 Oct 05
Originally posted by PawnokeyholeI'd be aggressively pushing said button. The way I see it, I'm freeing the captives from a miserable existance and making moolah for myself. Its a win-win for all involved. Woo Hoo!
Suppose there were a button, generally available for pressing by anyone who cared to press it.
This button is attached to a machine, with lots of whirring parts, and has a very long cable attached, that recedes into the distance...
Everytime you press the button, a £1 coin comes out of the slot below it. This is for you to keep. You can press the ...[text shortened]... the innocent victims get dispatched.
Question: Is it morally permissible to press the button?
21 Oct 05
Originally posted by Hand of HecateFurther scenario modification:
I'd be aggressively pushing said button. The way I see it, I'm freeing the captives from a miserable existance and making moolah for myself. Its a win-win for all involved. Woo Hoo!
The "attached" victims are not captive, but are citizens chosen at random by the machine, by a high-tech mechanism using GPS technology and death rays.
Question: is it moral to push the button?
21 Oct 05
Originally posted by Pawnokeyholehmmmm...citizens of which country?
Further scenario modification:
The "attached" victims are not captive, but are citizens chosen at random by the machine, by a high-tech mechanism using GPS technology and death rays.
Question: is it moral to push the button?
just kidding.
No. I don't believe it would be moral.
So let's connect the button to person pushing it.
I'll wait patiently next to the machine.
24 Oct 05
Originally posted by xsOkay, let's suppose it's not moral.
hmmmm...citizens of which country?
just kidding.
No. I don't believe it would be moral.
So let's connect the button to person pushing it.
I'll wait patiently next to the machine.
Now, suppose that it costs $1 more to buy fairtrade coffee than normally traded coffee, and the result is that, for every million, or other very large number, of coffees sold, a poor peasant farmer dies prematurately, who otherwise would not have.
Is it moral to buy normally traded coffee?