Questions of Morality.

mo·ral·i·ty
məˈralədē/
noun
principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior.

Lately I've been trying to look at things from new and different perspectives, and one thing that kept sticking out to me was morality. What's the difference between right and good? Wrong and bad? It's extremely subjective and depending where you are, who you ask and even when you ask, you will get all different answers. The one thing that is clear is the more questions you ask the blurrier the lines become.

These questions are very important and relevant to a lot of the issues we have today. Is any single life more important than another? What if one was your family member and the other was a stranger? Are your personal needs more important than somebody else's? What if the other person's life depended on it? Are you obliged to help somebody in need of you have the means to? Does it make you wrong or bad if you don't? Would you sacrifice one life to save 10? What if the 10 were convicted felons? What if the one was terminally ill?

As you can see there isn't any right or wrong answers and it changes depending on the context. What's right isn't always good and what's wrong isn't always bad. I think what lies at the core of a lot of our differences is moral principles and I think once you start to look at it this way, it becomes a lot easier to understand and accept.

I'm not really sure the point or direction of this thread so I'll just leave it like this, but in the spirit of the thread I'll leave some tough moral dillemas for you to ponder with.

Note that these are vague hypothetical questions that only require a simple choice, no making up your own answers.

1. Your daughter and spouse are drowning. If you save your daughter first, your spouse will definitely die but if you save your spouse first, your daughter has a 50 percent chance to live. Who do you save?

2. You and your son are in a concentration camp and your son is about to be hung to his death. The gaurd told you that if you don't push your son off the ledge, not only will they still do it, but they will also take another innocent life. What do you do?

3. You are driving down the highway and notice a huge accident. You pull over to help, only to realize that it's your spouse with another person. They've been having an affair. Your spouse has a very small chance to live and if you tend to them, the other person will die and your spouse still might die. If you tend to the other person, they will be saved but your spouse will definitely die. What do you do?

4. 5 people are tied down to the tracks with an incoming train. You have the option to use a lever to make the train switch tracks, but this will lead to a stranger dying on the other track.

Bonus: Same scenario, but instead of a lever you have the option of throwing the stranger in front of the train saving the 5.

Notice how both questions have the same outcomes but the context can change your desicion?

Good luck.

originally posted by: knowledgehunter0986
3. You are driving down the highway and notice a huge accident. You pull over to help, only to realize that it's your spouse with another person. They've been having an affair. Your spouse has a very small chance to live and if you tend to them, the other person will die and your spouse still might die. If you tend to the other person, they will be saved but your spouse will definitely die. What do you do?

A: Take out my iPhone and film the end.

originally posted by: knowledgehunter0986
These questions are very important and relevant to a lot of the issues we have today. Is any single life more important than another? What if one was your family member and the other was a stranger?

I'm not really sure the point or direction of this thread so I'll just leave it like this, but in the spirit of the thread I'll leave some tough moral dillemas for you to ponder with.

Note that these are vague hypothetical questions that only require a simple choice, no making up your own answers.

1. Your daughter and spouse are drowning. If you save your daughter first, your spouse will definitely die but if you save your spouse first, your daughter has a 50 percent chance to live. Who do you save?

2. You and your son are in a concentration camp and your son is about to be hung to his death. The gaurd told you that if you don't push your son off the ledge, not only will they still do it, but they will also take another innocent life. What do you do?

3. You are driving down the highway and notice a huge accident. You pull over to help, only to realize that it's your spouse with another person. They've been having an affair. Your spouse has a very small chance to live and if you tend to them, the other person will die and your spouse still might die. If you tend to the other person, they will be saved but your spouse will definitely die. What do you do?

4. 5 people are tied down to the tracks with an incoming train. You have the option to use a lever to make the train switch tracks, but this will lead to a stranger dying on the other track.

Bonus: Same scenario, but instead of a lever you have the option of throwing the stranger in front of the train saving the 5.
Notice how both questions have the same outcomes but the context can change your desicion?

Good luck.

Tough very tough, somethings not dwelt on as 'adrenaline' takes over in certain

situations and you act without thinking.

But since you asked the questions, What would you do

a reply to: Snarl

Lol! Always knew you were an evil bastard

a reply to: eletheia

It's too tough for me to answer some of them, that's why I'm asking you instead

1. let em both drown . No more getting nagged at and having all my money spent .

2 . Tell guard have fun .

3. keep driving , cheaper than pay divorce lawyers and alimony .

4. grab a snack and watch em get ran over by the train .

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

1) You have to follow the logic...more are saved by taking the risk and saving the spouse first, yet mother/child bond would trump that, plus your daughter will live longer, so I guess it depends.

I would save my daughter, though I can't truly know until I was faced with the situation, or any of them listed.

2) Again logic dictates less will die if you push your offspring, yet as with number 1, I am not going to do that to my Son, so another innocent would have to die on top.

3) Keep on driving...I have no forgiveness in me, this is the only one where I know 100% what I would do, it's not PC but it is how I am, wrong me and you'll pay.

4) Sacrifice the one to save the many...unless a couple of them happen to have survived the car crash in number3 above, in which case they can still burn and I'm saving the one stranger!

Bonus round, see number 4.

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

I simplify these things, because funneling emotion/thought through source eliminates the fog of rights and wrongs.

One could essentially remove the Beauty from the phrase, 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder' to 'Reality.' How each equation of choice finds judgement also lives internally. Right/wrong or left/right have many meanings for all people... adding variables affected by choice just sends this down a growing pool pf probability.

I treat others like I would want them to treat my children... I choose to stick to this principle, but realize 3 out of 4 people I interact with may decide for judgement to hold a completely different reality. Unless I am threatened I will still let others be what they choose and treat others as I choose.

This way of thinking, for me, always helps me isolate and remove the natural senses of entitlement. Sure, I go to work to pay bills and keep the comforts I choose in motion... but I could really care less about money. It is just being placed in my possession temporarily as I pass it to another for a comfort of whatever variety.

ADHD set in and I did not make it to the end of your OP, sorry. It was by no means for the thread having lack or direction. I simply seen too many directions to funnel... my inner peace advised me to not spend too much time walking in circles chasing tales I believe...

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

So, would you suggest that this equation needs the removal of anything subjective? What would be left?


Do not kill.
Do not speak falsely.
Do not control or attempt to alter another person's free will.

How much subjectivity should or could be allowed into this?

Treat others as you would like to be treated (subjective)
Respect others that deserve respect (subjective)
Honor your word as law (not really subjective)
Do not attempt to profit or gain from others ignorance (not really subjective)

Interesting subject.

a reply to: ttobban

That's totally fine, you gave me the best answer so far. The second half of my OP isn't really important, it's just for fun.

a reply to: ClovenSky

It's human nature to be subjective, and humans are quite the complex beings. As to your questions, I have no idea how to answer them lol.

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

All Hypothetical Questions Can Never be Answered in a Positive without the Knowledge of a First Hand Experience . The Law of Probability Cannot be Defined to an Exact Degree . No one Knows for Sure what they Would or Would Not do in All your Proposed Scnerios .

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

But I think you bring up a really good point. Can the laws of this reality be subjective? Maybe if a rule could be interpreted in 2 different ways, it probably isn't a binding karmic rule of this reality.

You would really need to scrap the majority of religion from this equation. It would have to be black and white.

ooooo, that one is going to keep me awake tonight. Awesome.

a reply to: Zanti Misfit

Yes im fully aware of that, but thanks for clarifying it for me. I just added it for fun because I didn't have anymore interesting things to say.

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

I did read into the fun of it a bit... debate and imagination are the best parts of the mind. To say anything is wrong defies my logic... this thread included.

I nearly collapsed mentally due to the topic of this thread... mainly stemming my morality and its place society coupled with a rapid thought pace.

I still question how I found great peace by studying The Flower Of Life, but I did. I found it astonishing that many ancient cultures that did not supposedly have links to one another, enshrine symbols of likeness. I got so buried in study that the seas of choice faded away... thankfully.

The best humor nowadays is putting people's morality into question in a public setting... I feel anyway. I have plans soon to bolt a baby car seat with a doll in it to the roof of my car... to add to my entertainment value of work commutes... sure I will cross the moral boundaries of some, but my boundaries may vary as to what provides laughter.

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

Moral relativism, moral absolutism, religion, increasing understanding of cause and effect (which isnt as straight forward as it may seem at times), the effects of observation and collapasing (manifesting), synchronicity, alternative realities, and probably most importantly, consciousness.

*shrug*

Moral relativism:
en.m.wikipedia.org...

Moral absolutism:
en.m.wikipedia.org...

Synchronicity:
en.m.wikipedia.org...

Causality:
en.m.wikipedia.org...

Observation:
en.m.wikipedia.org...

Multiverse:
en.m.wikipedia.org...

Consciousness:
en.m.wikipedia.org...




oh....and beer.

originally posted by: knowledgehunter0986

1. Your daughter and spouse are drowning. If you save your daughter first, your spouse will definitely die but if you save your spouse first, your daughter has a 50 percent chance to live. Who do you save?

My daughter, no hesitation. My spouse would do the same, knowing I wouldn't want to live if my daughter died at my expense.

originally posted by: knowledgehunter0986
2. You and your son are in a concentration camp and your son is about to be hung to his death. The gaurd told you that if you don't push your son off the ledge, not only will they still do it, but they will also take another innocent life. What do you do?

I'd push him. (I ain't even gonna try to cheat my way out of that question but it's tempting)

originally posted by: knowledgehunter0986

3. You are driving down the highway and notice a huge accident. You pull over to help, only to realize that it's your spouse with another person. They've been having an affair. Your spouse has a very small chance to live and if you tend to them, the other person will die and your spouse still might die. If you tend to the other person, they will be saved but your spouse will definitely die. What do you do?

Without detailed examples of the injuries, it's difficult to tell what "slim chance" is. But if my spouse had a branch through her skull and her head was on backwards while her partner had a realistically treatable wound? I'd save her partner, of course. Obviously, the person must be a decent human if she's sleeping with them.

originally posted by: knowledgehunter0986

4. 5 people are tied down to the tracks with an incoming train. You have the option to use a lever to make the train switch tracks, but this will lead to a stranger dying on the other track.

So doing nothing will kill five and doing something will kill one? I'd hit that lever, no problem.

originally posted by: knowledgehunter0986

Bonus: Same scenario, but instead of a lever you have the option of throwing the stranger in front of the train saving the 5.

Same thing. I'd throw the stranger in front of the train if I knew, for a fact, it would save the other five. I'd hope the stranger would do the same thing to me.

Morality is in the eye of the beholder, definitely. What I find completely moral is sometimes at odds with others thoughts and feelings. Culture is the big yardstick of morality and not religion, IMO. BUT.. there are cultural norms which trump your "morality". Sometimes the cultural norms are laws. IE Pashtun sexuality ( women are for children, boys are for fun... Bacha Baz) is culturally okay and morally okay in some areas.. even prestigious.... and in others will get you at the very LEAST arrested.

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

But if I were to Try And Answer them , I would Attempt to Save them All if I could , or Die Trying.....Life is Short.........

a reply to: Advantage

It is definitely in the eye of the beholder. Everyone gave somewhat different answers, but nobody is really right or wrong or good and bad. Maybe other than Mr.iphone and lettemdrown lol. But even those 2 are subjective.

I think I discovered the point to this thread, a fascinating look into people's perspectives.