The Lifeboat

**Bridge** · 04-01-2013, 02:44 PM

(04-01-2013, 02:27 PM)Aldighieri Wrote:
(04-01-2013, 01:21 AM)Bridge Wrote: But what is it you want us to learn from this? No amount of thinking will produce a true solution or enable us to draw any lessons from it, so what's the point? There is nothing to be gained from this dilemma.

We need to think like Batman, he'd come up with an option that saved everyone.

Then we can be like Batman.

What if the people in the water are all criminals and letting them on board would endanger the lives of everybody already in the lifeboat?

**Ghieri** · 04-01-2013, 02:58 PM

Quote: What if the people in the water are all criminals and letting them on
board would endanger the lives of everybody already in the lifeboat?

Why are you asking me? I'm not Batman!

**i3670** · 04-01-2013, 04:55 PM

If all 100 people in the water are criminals it's highly plausible that the 50 people in boat is also criminals.

It also depends on what you define as a criminal. A criminal can either be a psychopathic killer, a file sharer, tax evader whatever. And how would you know if they were criminals? Would you question them 1 by 1 as they try to come aboard and ask them "Are you a criminal?" To which they would always answer "No." because they can either lie/tell the truth or drown.

**Bridge** · 04-01-2013, 05:11 PM

(04-01-2013, 04:55 PM)i3670 Wrote: If all 100 people in the water are criminals it's highly plausible that the 50 people in boat is also criminals.

It also depends on what you define as a criminal. A criminal can either be a psychopathic killer, a file sharer, tax evader whatever. And how would you know if they were criminals? Would you question them 1 by 1 as they try to come aboard and ask them "Are you a criminal?" To which they would always answer "No." because they can either lie/tell the truth or drown.

All of them are murderers and can be easily identified as murderers, and all of the people on the boat are upstanding citizens. Would Batman let all of the murderers drown in order to save the lives of everyone on board? The blood is on his hands either way. The question, then, is: who should be allowed to live? The criminals or the upstanding citizens?

**Kreekakon** · 04-01-2013, 05:15 PM

I would not care for hell if anyone on the boat, or in the water were criminals, or not. In these dire situations we are all just equal human beings to the very core. This is not in a moral way, we will just literally "see" each other as equal human beings no matter who they really are beyond. The exception to this rule "may" be if you know the person, and are close to them.

What I think would happen in this situation is that you really wouldn't let anyone else aboard. it's a cruel thing yes, but under the heat of the moment there's no room for moral thoughts. You don't push the excess people off, and you're dead. You wouldn't have room to think. it's just in human nature for them to do that.

EDIT: This is mostly in response to the original question of the thread.