I would definitely choose myself.

The others are probably religious morons, anyway. No use to anyone.

Quote:Are our own lives worth as much as 10 people? How would you answer the question?

Yours? No.

Mine? Absolutely. Only ten? Pshaw. An indefinite number. And no, I'm not being at all flippant.

Would I allow everyone I love to die to save my own life? Probably,with deep regret and guilt.


As this a hypothetical question, I've answered as honestly as I can,stating what I think I'd do,even what I'd like to think I'd do.. In reality, I have no idea.

Forced to chose the death of 10 random people or the death of myself?

Phffttt.... That's an easy one. The ten people would have to die.

Why? Because I am me. I do care a bit about the ten, I could care less about them. I COULD care less, I do care a bit. However I care about myself more. In the end, it's me who matters most to me.

I can't spread my highly valued genes if I am dead.

I got an even better uncomfortable ethics question for you.

Here in the United States if an adult has sexual relations with a 13 year old you can be jailed and will be labeled for life as a "Child Molester". You would be considered immoral, a 'sick-o'. Some would even advocate a death penalty.

Now if you were to move to the country of Senegal, where the legal age of consent is 13 and had sexual relations with a 13 year old, are you still a "child molester"? Are you still immoral? A sick-o?

Or what about England? I hears the legal age of consent is 16 over there. Here in the U.S. you are looking at jail time and ostracization from the society. I would be an immoral, unethical pig to have such a relation with a 16 year old. What if I were to move to England? Would I still be an immoral, unethical pig? Why?

Morality and ethics are subjective. So while my answer to your ethics question may seem repugnant to you, it is subjectively reasonable to me. I live, I reproduce, universe keeps on spinning. If I die, then from my perspective the universe just ended. It stopped spinning.

This question would appear to be the plot of this film.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362478/

'The box' starring Cameron Diaz.

(September 20, 2010 at 1:11 pm)downbeatplumb Wrote: This question would appear to be the plot of this film.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362478/

'The box' starring Cameron Diaz.

Ripped of from the Twilight Zone episode.

For me, it depends who it is, and how I would die. Maybe I would, maybe I wouldn't. I can definitely envisage situations in which I would sacrifice myself, but if it was a question of me enduring a slow and painful death to save 10 anonymous strangers, then.... well, they're shit out of luck.

Quote:Now if you were to move to the country of Senegal, where the legal age of consent is 13 and had sexual relations with a 13 year old, are you still a "child molester"?

No..

The age of consent (as we use the term) is largely a late C19th-early C20th bourgeois invention. In most cultures that age has been puberty, which is when people began to breed

.In the UK and US,the age of consent for a female was 12 until early C20th. Here,in the Northern Territory it was 14 until a few years ago due to the large indigenous population.

Quote:While the phrase age of consent typically does not appear in legal statutes,[1] when used in relation to sexual activity, the age of consent is the minimum age at which a person is considered to be legally competent of consenting to sexual acts. The European Union calls it the legal age for sexual activities. It should not be confused with the age of majority, age of criminal responsibility, the marriageable age, the age at which one can purchase and consume alcoholic beverages, or drive a car, or other purposes.
The age of consent varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.[1] The relevant age may also vary by the type of sexual act, the sex of the actors, or other restrictions such as abuse of a position of trust. Some jurisdictions may also make allowances for minors engaged in sexual acts with each other, rather than a single age. Charges resulting from a breach of these laws may range from a relatively low-level misdemeanor such as corruption of a minor, to statutory rape (which is considered equivalent to rape, both in severity and sentencing). Many jurisdictions regard any sexual activity by an adult involving a child as child sexual abuse.

Quote:The American colonies followed the English tradition, and the law was more of a guide. For example, Mary Hathaway (Virginia, 1689) was only nine when she was married to William Williams. Sir Edward Coke (England, 17 century) made it clear that "the marriage of girls under twelve was normal, and the age at which a girl who was a wife was eligible for a dower from her husband's estate was nine even though her husband be only four years old."[2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_consent

If the random choices were not my children or other family members, I would not choose to die in the place of strangers.
I'm not emotionally tied to strangers.

(September 21, 2010 at 6:10 am)A Theist Wrote: If the random choices were not my children or other family members, I would not choose to die in the place of strangers.
I'm not emotionally tied to strangers.

What happened to "love thy neighbour as thyself"?

Cherrypick much?

I was more surprised by a Pentecostal accepting death on anyones behalf, related or not. From what I know about the afterlife as told by the Pentecostal that hangs around outside my tube stop, it's not going to be much of a picnic for anyone.