Thread: The Classic Morality Puzzle

Male 3
Female 8
Male 18
Male 45
Me

why? they all saw life as beautiful and have something that's so strong to live for. They each have a life that can grow into something beautiful... not to say the others didn't, but these were the ones i really felt had something special to them...

^_^ and i would feel safe that they wouldn't try to harm the children or me... the kids would be easy to carry, so the guys and i could row... but that's really all i thought when it came to the survival aspect of it...

Originally Posted by Miroku4444

Passenger #1-Male, 68: A brilliant physicist on the brink of a major discovery. Gay and in a relationship. Atheist.

-Would so benefit the world, would definitely save him. You never know, he could get us to mars?? (Save)

Silly, I thought the "lifeboat" could only support five people, including yourself.

And yeah..... he (the physicist) could also migrate to Mars and nuke all people on Earth, hypothetically speaking, for he might, after surviving this ship wreak, turn into a sadistic misanthrope. Who knows how each might turn into! >.>

My response:

After surreptitiously sabotaging the lifeboat... I would allow the (five) eagerest (for survival) of the nine the entry (into the boat and) to the game I call "Meet your destiny or something like the sort", and, well, have their survival be determined by happenstance. And the remaining five "leftovers", including myself, would participate in the same "rat race", only without the help of a crippled lifeboat. Just a crazy thought!

Edit: While I was trying to cooperate with my slow computer, I didn't realize I was too slow informing the five-people-only thing.

Here's mine. I'll just copy Mirokuu's and change it a little bit here and there.

__________________________________________________ ________________
Passenger #1-Male, 68: A brilliant physicist on the brink of a major discovery. Gay and in a relationship. Atheist.

-Not sure whether the discovery will turn out good or not, but a discovery is a discovery so he's on. (Save)
__________________________________________________ _________________
Passenger #2- Female 52: Married housewife and mother of 2 grown children. Buddhist.

-She deserves to see grandchildren and enjoy at least another two decade with her partner. (Save).
__________________________________________________ __________________
Passenger #3-Male 45: Married car salesman and father of six (some grown, some still at home). Muslim.

-This guy is really needed, family would really suffer if he was lost. So he gets saved. (Save).
__________________________________________________ ___________________
Passenger #4- Female 43: Civil rights activist and widow of a baptist preacher. No children. Christian.

-Time for her to meet her husband. (No Save)
__________________________________________________ ___________________
Passenger #5- Male, 35: A married doctor with three children. You know that he's cheating on his wife. Catholic.

-Has three kids that needs him, and he saves ppl lives. But cheating is taboo in my book. So it's either him or the substitute teacher. (Not Saving/Save)
__________________________________________________ ____________________
Passenger #6- Female 24: college dropout (you do not know the circumstances), now a substitute teacher. Very kind, but doesn't seem very smart. Scientoloist.

-Toughest decision. Flip-flop with doctor. Somehow Scientologist and not very smart seemed to go together (Not saving/Save).
__________________________________________________ ____________________
Passenger #7- Male 18: former gang member just out of juvenile hall, he says he has reformed completely and wants to be a musician. Born-again Christian.

- Too bad he was trying to become a musician, if he was poet he would have made my decision so much easier. Besides we already got Timbaland. (No Save)
__________________________________________________ ____________________
Passenger #8- Female 8: a sweet little girl and math whiz... she has Progeria (a rapid aging disease) and likely will not live past her 10th birthday. Jehovah's Witness.

-Seeing she has only 2 years to live, wouldn't make sense to save her. (No Save)
__________________________________________________ ____________________
Passenger #9- Male 3: A child with downs syndrome. His parents died in the accident that sunk your ship. Religion unknown.

-He's as good as dead, so no point in saving him. (No Save)

__________________________________________________ _____________________
Passenger #10- yourself

Well out of a natural instinct to survive, you know ill be saving myself. (Save)
__________________

There wouldn't be any "morality" question at all. If there is a sinking ship, its women and children first, and I, as a man, would gladly, although there would be some reluctance, would give up my spot if it came to that.

And here's my reasoning: Children are our future. Women have the ability to give life. Men, on the other hand, are only the cataylist for the start of life, and once their job is done, they would no longer be needed from a biological standpoint.

So, speaking for the furtherance of the species, Women and Children First.

Originally Posted by tsurara

You are on a sinking ship with 9 other living passengers. Only 5 people will fit on the lifeboat and for some reason everyone looks to you to make this decision.

The passengers:

- Male, 68: A brilliant physicist on the brink of a major discovery. Gay and in a relationship. Atheist.
- Female 52: Married housewife and mother of 2 grown children. Buddhist.
- Male 45: Married car salesman and father of six (some grown, some still at home). Muslim.
- Female 43: Civil rights activist and widow of a baptist preacher. No children. Christian.
- Male, 35: A married doctor with three children. You know that he's cheating on his wife. Catholic.
- Female 24: college dropout (you do not know the circumstances), now a substitute teacher. Very kind, but doesn't seem very smart. Scientologist.
- Male 18: former gang member just out of juvenile hall, he says he has reformed completely and wants to be a musician. Born-again Christian.
- Female 8: a sweet little girl and math whiz... she has Progeria (a rapid aging disease) and likely will not live past her 10th birthday. Jehovah's Witness.
- Male 3: A child with downs syndrome. His parents died in the accident that sunk your ship. Religion unknown.
-yourself

Who will you save and why?

I have several questions about this question.

Is the life boat just a life boat? Are there supplies: food, water, and first aid? Or is it just a boat with two paddles? How much weight can the life boat take before it sinks low enough to take on water? How much does each individual weigh?

- Female 24: college dropout (you do not know the circumstances), now a substitute teacher. Very kind, but doesn't seem very smart. Scientologist

Is she hot?

Finally the people you left on the sinking boat drown right? How long are the people floating in the lifeboat? Are they saved, or are they killed by the sun and lack of food/water?

- Male, 68: A brilliant physicist on the brink of a major discovery. Gay and in a relationship. Atheist.
because we can't sacrifice a man who can bring a discovery that can change the world forever and as divine_punishment said he will be useful in navigating the life boat otherwise no one would survive
- Male 45: Married car salesman and father of six (some grown, some still at home). Muslim.
because he has 6 sons that if he died the life of 6 human beings may be ruined with no supporting father
- Female 24: college dropout (you do not know the circumstances), now a substitute teacher. Very kind, but doesn't seem very smart. Scientologist.
such person is very useful in comforting the other passengers on the boat and will be able to keep hope in the passengers' hearts
- Female 8: a sweet little girl and math whiz... she has Progeria (a rapid aging disease) and likely will not live past her 10th birthday. Jehovah's Witness.
i can't leave a child behind and she has only two years left ,we can't steal the only precious life time left for her
- Male 3: A child with downs syndrome. His parents died in the accident that sunk your ship. Religion unknown.
this child is in a devastating shock and he had suffered enough already knowing that he lost his parents a little while earlier
i won't save myself because i don't know maybe because i try to save every thing i'm capable of saving ,and i'll stay with other passengers comforting them and keeping the hope that we must have patience and maybe we will get rescued if we stayed alive even if there was not even the slightest chance of survival
Honestly ,this the HARDEST puzzle i ever saw in my entire life i think because it is related to the matter of life and death

- Male, 68: A brilliant physicist on the brink of a major discovery. Gay and in a relationship. Atheist.
- Female 52: Married housewife and mother of 2 grown children. Buddhist.
- Male 45: Married car salesman and father of six (some grown, some still at home). Muslim.
- Female 43: Civil rights activist and widow of a baptist preacher. No children. Christian.
- Male, 35: A married doctor with three children. You know that he's cheating on his wife. Catholic.
- Female 24: college dropout (you do not know the circumstances), now a substitute teacher. Very kind, but doesn't seem very smart. Scientologist.
- Male 18: former gang member just out of juvenile hall, he says he has reformed completely and wants to be a musician. Born-again Christian.
- Female 8: a sweet little girl and math whiz... she has Progeria (a rapid aging disease) and likely will not live past her 10th birthday. Jehovah's Witness.
- Male 3: A child with downs syndrome. His parents died in the accident that sunk your ship. Religion unknown.
-yourself

well now lets see.
the two children get saved, no matter what the outcome of their lives will be.
the rest of us draw straws and let fate decide. but if I get saved I would offer my seat to someone else.