(Damn it...I had all of this ready to post and I accidentally deleted it all...so I had to retype all of this...so it's not as high of a quality as it originally was.
)
I gave you all an extra THREE Hours...so that's it. See the subject. Your time is up.
Here are my answers, followed by the next round of questions...
[insert The Name of God theme]
Question 1: Conflicting Loyalties
1. Loyalty to one's family
2. Loyalty to one's lover
3. Loyalty to one's friends
4. Loyalty to one's self
5. Loyalty to one's mentor
6. Loyalty to one's religion
7. Loaylty to one's country
8. Loyalty to Society
Okay...you're probably wondering, "What the hell?" Don't write me off as crazy just yet...let me explain.
I understand (and completely subscribe) with what others have said when answering their question...that if you do not accept yourself, you cannot accept anything.
HOWEVER (and this is a
big However.
)
I must also take into account other factors before answering this question. Now, all of my reasons that will be outlined below are working on my personal interpretation of the question. It is no more correct than other's interpretations.
When I read this question, it seems to me...there are conflicting ideals taking place.
A situation in which you must choose which you will uphold, and which you will let go.
For example, my mind thinks up a hypothetical situation...in which I must choose between my hopes, my dreams, my ideals...and my family.
My mind thinks up a hypothetical situation in which I can stand and watch my lover killed, or intervene at the risk of my own life.
Again, I interpret the question as saying: When these loyalties are in direct conflict, how would you rank them? Which would be more important to you?
And my answer...my beliefs, dreams, hopes, aspirations...my entire being...
Is not worth my family.
If I had a choice, in which all of my dreams could come true, at the expense of my family...
I would have to refuse.
Not because I am trying to be the hero.
But because they are a part of my Self. Without my family, I would not be who and what I am today.
Lover would rank on about the same tier...they are as good as tied. I thought long and hard, but could not come up with an answer on whether I would choose my family over my lover or vice-versa if the situation arose. I put family up first, but lover should be right beside it.
My friends...see the answer to family. They helped shape my Self...without them, my Self would not be the same...and would not be worth staying loyal to.
If I am to stay loyal to my Self, it would have to be (nearly) my entire Self. Not a small slice of it.
My mentor...I have a real mentor. Not just a teacher...but also a close friend. He's done a lot for me over hte past few years, and he's the one that first presented me with the dreaded Train question when we were discussing philosophy one day (leaving from Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, nontheless.
)
He is definately very close behind my Self. I'd say they are about equal...however, I could not put my mentor above it outright because that would belittle my Self too much, I think.
All the teachers I have had in my life, as well as my mentor, have also played a role in shaping my Self...and therefore are very important to me.
Religion...I am a Catholic, not as devout as I would like to be, but I am religious...and religion is important to me.
But I would never give up my family, friends, lover, mentor, and Self for religion. I just couldn't. They mean so much more to me.
I love America...I am quite the Patriot. However, again, it isn't nearly as important as everything else on the list. New York City would rank fairly high though.
Society...well, no need to explain myself there. See others' posts, they do a good job of explaining why it's all the way down here.
So, that is my answer to Conflicting Loyalties...now, onto the big one...
Question 2: The Train
The key to answering this question...lies in the question itself. Specifically, in the wording. Below is the question, quoted word for word, except I bolded the most important parts.
As for the encrypted response I gave before...it should read (not exactly...to lazy to unencrypt it..the key to the encryption was I took ever letter and added 1 to it...so it was the next letter in the alphabet.
...for example: "a" becomes "b", "c" becomes "d", etc.)
There is a way to answer the question...without being guilty of killing anyone.
Yes, people
will die (that is unavoidable), but you can answer the question in a way that you will not be guilty of killing them (at least, it should help you feel less guilt...it makes
me feel less guilt).
| quote: |
You are on a train. The train is travelling very fast, so fast that it cannot be stopped. However, on the track you are currently on you realize there are 15 track workers. If you do not do anything, the track workers will surely be killed. You do have a chance to save their lives...just a few moments before the collision you will have a chance to switch to another track. However, you know that on the other track there is 1 person, and that if you switch tracks he will not survive.
What do you do? Stay on the track you are on, letting the 15 track workers die and sparing the 1, or switch tracks, sparing the 15 track workers and killing the 1? |
Those 2 sentences are key...
Do you
Let the track workers die or
Kill the one?
And yes, there
is a moral difference.
Consider the situation...you are on the train. There is no time to stop it, no time to get out of the way.
You were not aware of the track workers when you started up the train and accelerated it. (This is stated in the question: "you realize there are 15 workers")
If you do nothing, you are letting the events happen...doing nothing to intervene. You are not killing them, but let...for lack of better word, I'll use fate, intervene. Indeed, there is no other option. Therefore, you can't be considered guilty of killing them.
But wait! You say. There
is another option!
I answer: Is there?
Yes, you can switch to the other track...
But as stated in the question, you
know there is a single worker there.
So, by switching tracks,
completely aware of this, you are guilty of killing the track worker.
You chose to kill him...true, it was to save the lives of 15, but you still took it upon yourself and put his life in your hands.
No, you aren't being malicious...you aren't meaning much harm...
But the fact of the matter is, you are guilty of killing the worker. There is no getting around this fact. Morally, you are guilty of killing him.
So is there really another option?
I woudl stay on the track..true, I will live the rest of my life with the knowledge that I let 15 track workers die.
But I'd rather live with that than with the knowledge that I stole a human life, fully aware of what I was doing.
Even if it were to save 15.
I'm sorry, but I can't take it upon myself to put another's life in my hands. I will gladly risk my own, but I can't think of a justification of risking another without their consent.
And that is my answer to the Train Question.
-----
Now, the next stop in the land of Hypotheticals:
What he Deserves
This'll be a fun one...
You are walking down the street. It is early in the evening, a full moon, and the street is very well lit. Suddenly, you hear gunshots. Looking ahead of you, you can see someone with a gun out, pointing it to a fallen body on the ground. The person on the ground is dead. The killer rushes past you, but not before you get a good look of his face. A face you'll never forget.
A few days later, you are walknig down the same street at approximately the same time, when you hear the sound of someone loading a gun. You glance into an alleyway ahead of you, and you see the same murderer from a few days ago...except someone has a gun to his head. They seem to be in a conversation, so you have the oppurtunity to intervene and try to save the murderer's life...
However, you still remember the event of a few days ago. That man is still a murderer.
What do you do? Walk quickly past, pretending you saw and heard nothing, do you attempt to intervene? Do you just stand there and watch as the murderer gets what he deserves?
There's no time to get help. The only way to save the murderer is if you intervene.
But does he deserve to live after shooting down a man in cold blood?
---
Now, the second question (it isn't a hypothetical):
The Worst that can Happen
What is the worst crime a human being can commit, outside of intentionally taking another life?
Cosmic Horizon is the limit here. What is the worst crime a Human can commit? (Excluding murder, so that we might get more variety).
Murder pertains to all life, including humans, animals, plants, etc.
But if you honestly think murder is the worst, go ahead and say so...but also include the second worst crime then. And give explanatios too!
Whew...that's it. 9548 characters total, this post. Took me over an hour to write.
I have too much time on my hands.
*
Oh well, 'twas fun while it lasted.