1. You are on a country road and see two neighbouring farm houses on fire. One is yours and the other belongs to a new couple who just moved in. Your wife and child are at home as are your neighbours. You can only save one house. Which one do you save?

2. You discover Bill Gate's wallet lying on the street. It contains $1000.00 Do you send it back to him?

3.In Dostoyevsky's novel Crime and Punishment, the main character plots and carries out the murder of an old woman who has a considerable amount of money in her apartment. After killing her, he steals the money. He argues that 1) she is a malicious old woman, petty, cantankerous and scheming, useless to herself and to society (which happens to be true), and her life causes no happiness to herself or to others; and 2) her money if found after her death would only fall into the hands of chisellers anyway. Whereas he would use it for his education. Is this action justified?

4. A rich man and a poor man commit the same type of crime. The rich man is fined $10,000 while the poor man is sent to jail for one year. Is this fair?

5. The sheriff in a southern town is guarding the courthouse against a mob that is about to storm it by force, in order to capture a black prisoner and lynch him even before his trial. If the mob is frustrated, many people may be killed in the ensuing riot. Should the sheriff deliver the prisoner to the mob?

6. Should the wealthier members of society be forced to pay through taxation, for the poorer members? If so, how much?

---

Answer one of the questions above in 50 words or more. As part of your answer you must also consider why someone might offer different answers than you.

Good luck.

~Talus

Talus said:

wow, those are some rough questions

of course human nature would kick in and you would go after your child first.. thats just part of what we do - protect our young.

but, after my family was safe, i would definately do my best to run in the other house and save them as well... i would hate to live through any situation like this, as it would truely scar you for the rest of your life

50 words! Are you drunk?

Can we answer with emoticons only?

nakedpianoplayer said:

Thank you, naked.

Be sure to discuss your reasons and possible alternative solutions to the one that you propose. Is what you would 'actually' do different from what you 'should' do? If so, why?

I'm not gonna read this all

50 words??

doctormcmeekle said:

As Edmund Burke has said: "Justice is itself the great standing policy of civil society; and any eminent departure from it, under any circumstances, lies under the suspicion of being no policy at all."

So, no.

Tyson said:

"To sin is a human business, to justify sins is a devilish business."

--Leo Tolstoy.

Talus said:

who's that Leo??

I think I'm gonna take my broadsword to the Org if it keeps putzing out on me!

No dilemma there!

Talus said:

So...change the title of your thread!

spelling edit
[Edited 4/24/05 12:37pm]

Tyson said:

That is a very discerning and just observation.

(Which I choose to ignore at this time. )

LMAO

shausler said:

Talus said:

tsssss easy way out

Tyson said:

"Though force can protect in emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration and cooperation can finally lead men to the dawn of eternal peace." -- Dwight David Eisenhower

Sing it, sister.

Are you high?

Talus said:

This is too much I tried

analbolique said:

"Only a kind person is able to judge another justly and to make allowances for his weaknesses. A kind eye, while recognizing defects, sees beyond them." -- Lawrence G. Lovasik

analbolique said:

Hello

I wish I was but I'm not

C'mon people, damn...

LMAO

shausler said:

analbolique said:

i was thinking the same thing

Talus said:

ok...sorry for the silly stuff...


i'll think bout it

Mach said:

"The voice of the majority is no proof of justice." -- Friedrich von Schiller

Talus said:

well, there really isnt a better way to handle that situation.. i would never live knowing that my babies were in a fire and i didnt help them

its possible that i 'should' be trying to help the other family first.... however, i just dont see that happening

possible solutions ??? find a phone (not likely in the country) and call for help ??? i dont know,youre confusing me

nakedpianoplayer said:

I believe that I would save the people in my own house.

I know the layout of my own home better than my neighbors' home and thus would have a better chance of success.

In this case, the most efficient solution also happens to be the one that is in my own interest, though I might live with a certain amount of guilt both for all those I didn't save and for the fact that I might be perceived as a selfish person.

That's my own reaction. I just got these off some website.

Anyone else?

Talus said:

of course. the fact that he is enormously wealthy has no bearing on the fact that the money is rightfully his in law, unless he has purposefully discarded it, which i could not rely on without his confirmation. i have no pressing need for it - someone else might say they'd keep it because they are desperate for the money. doesn't stop it being theft.

More than 50 words.

TheFrog said:

Good answer, squire! And once again we are faced with a situation in which the ethically correct answer (if that is in fact it) is also the one that is potentially self-serving. If you return the wallet to him knowing that 1000 dollars is but a pittance to him, you might very well be doing so hoping to be rewarded with as much as the entire sum or be otherwise recognized as honest etc.

There are times when we can do the right thing but still be motivated by base desires. But your answer Frogface was refreshingly free from such dissemblance.

Unlike mine...