makays moral question from season 3

[stargater1990]

okay in season 3 episode the game, makay asks shepard, teyla and ronan if there were 10 people standing on the train tracks and a train was coming and the only way to save them is to flip a switch sending the train down another track. the only problem is that theres a baby on the track you have to switch the train to. so the question is, would you kill the one baby to save 10 people? explain your answer.

[Jackie]

why not have the ten people jump off the track? They're legs broke?

then go pick up the baby.

[stargater1990]

why not have the ten people jump off the track? They're legs broke?

then go pick up the baby.

okay, it appears that just like in the episode instead of answering the question, they try and find loopholes. so lets close them up.


the train is traveling at 100 miles an hour, the 10 people and the baby are deaf,and blind. and theres no way to reach the people or the baby in time to save either of them. you have 2 seconds to flip the switch or not. what would you do?

[naamiaiset]

I'd flip the switch, one life doesn't outweigh ten in this case.

[Artifysial]

I would have to go for ten souls instead of one
failing being able to suddenly stop the train using a sudden EMP

[stargater1990]

I would have to go for ten souls instead of one
failing being able to suddenly stop the train using a sudden EMP

BABY KILLER!!!!!!!!!!!!!......lol

[JacksonClone]

I hate to say it, but when you have no choice BUT to sacrifice lives, you have to look at numbers.

Killing 1 to save 10 nets you 9 lives saved.

Killing 10 to save 1 nets you 9 lives lost.


While it would be hard to decide the baby should die, in the end you have to save the most people you can.


BTW, wasn't this basically Teal'c's dilemma in Cor-Ai (sp?)? The choice was either for Teal'c to kill one random person in that group or Apophis would have them all killed. Teal'c chose to kill the oldest man because he would hold the group up from getting to safety, not to mention that he kept Apophis from killing them all indiscriminately.

[jenks]

I'd save the 10 people and sacrifice the baby, unless the 10 people were 90 or something...

[stargater1990]

I hate to say it, but when you have no choice BUT to sacrifice lives, you have to look at numbers.

Killing 1 to save 10 nets you 9 lives saved.

Killing 10 to save 1 nets you 9 lives lost.


While it would be hard to decide the baby should die, in the end you have to save the most people you can.


BTW, wasn't this basically Teal'c's dilemma in Cor-Ai (sp?)? The choice was either for Teal'c to kill one random person in that group or Apophis would have them all killed. Teal'c chose to kill the oldest man because he would hold the group up from getting to safety, not to mention that he kept Apophis from killing them all indiscriminately.

no, he chose the man with only 1 leg because he would take the longest to get to saftey.

[rlr149]

I'd save the 10 people and sacrifice the baby, unless the 10 people were 90 or something...

me too, i asked this to a load of people in work, all the women but one chose to save the baby, all the guys said the 10.

not saying either is wrong or right. but i choose the greater good as i see it.......... 10 hitlers and i'd be driving the train

do i win godwins prize now?

[Melak]

I would also push the switch to save the ten lives but sacrificing the one.

Though I must say, eleven deaf and blind people standing randomly on train tracks is just asking for trouble

[stargater1990]

okay, so most people would sacrafice the 1 baby to save 10 lives. but, what if that 1 baby was your one and only baby and you are unable to have another baby. would that affect your decision at all? and dont answer, "if it were my baby i wouldnt have left it on the train tracks".

[Artifysial]

okay, so most people would sacrafice the 1 baby to save 10 lives. but, what if that 1 baby was your one and only baby and you are unable to have another baby. would that affect your decision at all? and dont answer, "if it were my baby i wouldnt have left it on the train tracks".

Stop changing the goal posts, I'm still smarting from baby killer dig, handbags at dawn matey LOL

what would you do stargater1990 ten people or one baby ? Huh ? and you have to personally explain to each persons' family why you made the decision by the way

[Melak]

okay, so most people would sacrafice the 1 baby to save 10 lives. but, what if that 1 baby was your one and only baby and you are unable to have another baby. would that affect your decision at all? and dont answer, "if it were my baby i wouldnt have left it on the train tracks".

If we're still dealing with the other rules from the original senario I wouldn't because I'd still be in shock form that choice (no matter what the senario, it'd take me more then two seconds to make that decision).

I don't know how long it would take but I would eventually come to the same decision. Even if it was my only child, they die a hero's death, and I couldn't live with myself if I knew that because of me 10 people died.

[_Famrir_]

i would pull the switch but if they were legally blind wouldnt they have seeing eye dogs