Group 1
Foot
Philippa Foot really does a good job at setting up our thoughts for a good opinionated stance. Even though we are not faced with decisions like the ones discussed in this chapter often it is possible that a decision of that weight could be presented to us.
In the example of the train barrelling down the tracks and the one vs. five scenario was presented to us, what would you do?
My Perspective:
Option 1 - Make a decision out of panic and allow the results of your decision to affect you in any which way.
Option 2 - (Religious View) - Do nothing and believe that God allowed this scenario to be present resulting in the outcome being what ever God intended.
Option 3 - (Reverse View) - Use the switch to allow the first car of the train to lead down track 1 and attempt to switch the initial track over to track 2 towards the end of the first car resulting in a bind of car one to car two. Intending for the the train to derail possibly saving all or killing all.
Option 4 - Consider the thought that no matter what the decision, the fact that you are preasent means something is going to happen and you may very well not know why you are there. Is it possible that God put you there to observe or to influence the situation? Once you know that I believe the best decision will be presented to us.
Or
We could be like George Berkeley and attempt to not be aware resulting in that scenario possibly not existing.
is it moral to kill one and save 5?
ReplyDeleteI liked this chapter, it made me think a bit.
What is a thought experiment?
Michael, I really like how you listed the possible approaches of this fiasco. Personally, I don't think I could say specifically what I would do in that kind of situation. Probably, I would try and take my chances with derailing the car, while still believing that I'm there for some odd reason.
ReplyDeleteQuestions:
F: Who coined the idea of the Unwanted Violinist?
D: Does moral relativism play into our decision-making regarding the Train situation? How would this be different in another part of the world, besides the West? Can religion (the idea of eternal life vs. damnation) play into the decision?
Philippa Foot & Judith Jarvis Thomson
ReplyDeleteMan oh man was this a heavy chapter. I pulls on some serious heart strings. My initial reaction would be that of Tony Stark's in the Avenger's Movie:
Steve Rogers: Big man in a suit of armour. Take that off, what are you?
Tony Stark: Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.
Steve Rogers: I know guys with none of that worth ten of you. I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you.
Tony Stark: I think I would just cut the wire.
Steve Rogers: Always a way out... You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero.
I'd want to use any means possible to get around the situation and find a "way out" so everybody could live. But when it comes down to "Playing God" things can get a bit shady. The thing I think we as people often forget is the fact that the world is not perfect, we are not perfect. God on the other hand is. So we can't even really play the role of God successfully because we are flawed in many ways where he is not
Factual Question: Which philosopher touched upon the argument of the morality or Abortion?
-- Judith Jarvis Thomson
Discussion Question: (And I'm not trying to step on any fingers here) Is the scenario between the sick violinist & the pregnant woman even an equal situation, where the same decision applies equally for both? For example, in the situation of the woman, even though she was taking precautions, she was in full knowledge that a potential result to having sex is the chance of getting pregnant. A situation that could have been avoided 100%. The violinist who's kidney's are shutting down is not the one who caused the illness to manifest. Does this change the playing field at all?
Foot and Thompson are both pulling at my emotional strings during this chapter. Both us scenarios that claim to have no real life occurrence and are only used as ways to think and establish our values, but in reality we all are faced with decisions like those every day. They may not be as linked to life or death in Foot and Thompson's' scenarios, but they happen.
ReplyDeleteF?-Foot found that killing the one for the sake of the five was morally sound? T/F
D?-Foot talks of these choices, which makes me wonder, if maybe she was presented with such a situation?
I believe, like many other intense scenarios, this is one that you do not know what you would do until you are put in that situation. I don't think I would be able to do anything because in either situation, I would be held responsible for someone's death, and that would be something really difficult to live with for the rest of my life.
ReplyDeleteF:What do thought experiments allow us to focus more on? (what is at stake)
D: Why is it that people believe that pushing a heavy-set man off a bridge to stop a train sounds terrible to us, but when you think of just flipping a switch to change the direction of the train, it doesn't seem as terrible?
I really had fun hearing what you guys had to say in class.
ReplyDeleteD? (same as the one i asked in class) Would the possibility of your choice being broadcasted change your actions?
F? The unwanted violinist is supposed to be a metaphor for abortion. (T/F)
Alan Turning
ReplyDeleteThis chapter didn't particularly tickle my fancy. I felt it was a weak argument on the topic of artificial intelligence, but then again it was written a good 50+years ago so I'll cut him some slack.
Factual Question: Who was a Cambridge mathematician who helped invent the modern computer?
(Alan Turning)
Discussion Topic: Briefly discuss potential pros and cons of the reality of artificial intelligence and if computers were able to adopt a certain human like consciousness