Poll: A moral dilemma - kill ten to save yourself?

[roman gnome]

I would press the button to kill myself for two reasons:

1. I'm not evil.

2. Whoever designed this room wants to observe human behavior in extreme circumstances. I have a hunch the "burn" button actually removes the glass wall.

 

[CrystalShadow]

Trace the signal back to the source of the voice, use the Force to choke the controller, rescue the people on the other side, find out who put me in this situation in the first place and place them in a similar situation, except instead of 10 random people, it is all of their friends, family, and/or everyone they care about.

You said imaginary game, right? This is my imaginary answer.

You know, if i were to make a list of the things that annoyed me most on these forums, people dodging questions when there´s no possibility of doing so would stand pretty high.

Capiche?

Not a fan of the Kirk school of problem solving then? ;p

I mean, this scenario is essentially a particularly perverse variant of the idea behind the Kobayashi Maru test...

 

[AgDr_ODST]

You guys are terrible people....

u think we're bad try going to 4chan

The people from 4chan would demand to see the other ten individuals tits, and then proceed to beat off and wedge a death lever up their rectum.

Weird lot, they are.

ur 1/3 right....I think the average 4channer would demand tits, wank once said tits were flashed then laugh as they hit the button

 

[dkyros]

Sexual desire and personal survival are on two different levels. Sexual desire can drive many emotions which lead to the continuing existence of the species.
Now from zehydra's point of view it can lead to rape/sexual assault which is certainly true. But in the majority of the population you will see it lead to dating and consensual sex or frustration and masturbation. This is why trying to use human nature as a defense in a rape trial doesn't hold water. Now the latter has to do with my own consciousness and life as I know it. Now say I were an atheist then killing myself doesnt make sense. This would again be instincts working together with reason to save myself.
I agree that saying that it is our instincts doesn't work as an argument because we do have the capability of higher thought processing.

 

[DefunctTheory]

You guys are terrible people....

u think we're bad try going to 4chan

The people from 4chan would demand to see the other ten individuals tits, and then proceed to beat off and wedge a death lever up their rectum.

Weird lot, they are.

ur 1/3 right....I think the average 4channer would demand tits, wank once said tits were flashed then laugh as they hit the button

That's 2/3 right...

 

[AgDr_ODST]

You guys are terrible people....

u think we're bad try going to 4chan

The people from 4chan would demand to see the other ten individuals tits, and then proceed to beat off and wedge a death lever up their rectum.

Weird lot, they are.

you're 2/3 right....I think the average 4channer would demand tits, wank once said tits were flashed then laugh as they hit the button

That's 2/3 right...

....urgh that's what I meant to say...point still stands though....4channers would do what most people claim they wouldn't do for "teh lulz"

 

[kasperbbs]

As evil as it might be i would want to keep on living, i would rather feel guilt but at least i would still feel something.

None of you know what real guilt feels like, do you?

No, i do not know what it feels like and theres a good chance that i`ll never know, and this whole thread is pointless.

 

[hcig]

Pretend to contemplate while observing the room. if im absolutely certain there is no other way, i kill the others, and hunt down the man responsible. that group of people may die, but i cant be sure they will commit their life to tracking the man down (they wouldnt even know i died for them), i also cant be sure that a few dont deserve it. its safe to say hed do it again, and there are too many uncertainties with the other group.

i dont go to the police, cant trust them, i do this on my own. I make every note possible before leaving (i assume he is smart, so he would probably gas me before leaving me in an park, never giving the location of the building) i try to remember where i was before i got here, and i find out where the hell my cellphone is, if he was stupid enough to not take it, ive hopefully got a location for his hideout.

in any case, i also make sure to use "contacts" in the NPD to help my investigation.

Who am I?

 

[hcig]

At least your memory will live on in those 10 people, and to all of their loved ones that they tell. You'd go down a hero.

no it wont, they wont know you exist, they dont have a button, they dont have a mic, they dont have a mirror.

they would just be let go, no questions asked, no answers given.

 

[hazabaza1]

Oh woo, another thread where people can go "I'd kill the strangers because I'm edgy and have no remorse and fuck strangers, I'm more important than them anyway."
Myself, I'd like the think I would sacrifice myself. First, because I have an incredibly moral conscience, and killing 10 people would stick with me forever, and second, because I feel honestly scared as hell when I hear suffering.

 

[Venereus]

Come on! No way those ten bastards combined are more important than I am!

LOL, I get that a lot, first time with that pic, though I've seen it before. The answer is usually both, but this time I was just kidding.

 

[Kevlar Eater]

I would gleefully press that button. They would don the same were they in my (hypothetical) shoes.

 

[zehydra]

You guys are terrible people....

nope, we are human beings,and we want to survive, and we follow our instincts.

And people's instincts usually tell them to do terrible things.

See: rape.

I have never once had the urge to rape someone.

Are my instincts broken?

Perhaps rape is a bit strong; how about sexually assault? No straight guy goes through school without thinking how he'd like to touch some of what he sees, no?

Yah, but never violently. Never.

So... broken, right?

rape doesn't have to be violent. It just has to be non-consensual. Same with sexual assault.

 

[zehydra]

You guys are terrible people....

nope, we are human beings,and we want to survive, and we follow our instincts.

And people's instincts usually tell them to do terrible things.

See: rape.

I have never once had the urge to rape someone.

Are my instincts broken?

Perhaps rape is a bit strong; how about sexually assault? No straight guy goes through school without thinking how he'd like to touch some of what he sees, no?

you think about sexually assault when you walk through school? that's also kinda strong.

Non-violent sexual assault, mind you.

 

[zehydra]

Would I kill 10 people in a horribly painful way, or relieve myself of my life in an absolutely painless way? Hmmm, I wonder...

Nah, I think I'm going with killing myself. I am/was slightly suicidal as it is, so if I can save some people and die a painless death in the process, that's pretty much the ideal scenario.

There's no guarantee you'd be saving anyone. The voice could be lying and you'll all die regardless.

The voice might also be lying about everything else. Maybe the workings of the buttons are the other way around. Maybe if you don't press a button in 1 second it's phosphorus for everyone! Usually in these moral dilemmas it is assumed that you have absolute knowledge of the outcomes of your choices, so that you can make an informed decision, instead of trying to figure out what is actually going on.

Anyway, in this scenario, I'd definitely kill myself. It is obviously the right choice and I don't care that much anyway. It may be difficult to really press the button, but that would also be the case if I was going to press the other one.

But I have to admit that the method of death is probably a big factor for me. I would prefer instant death, but otherwise the painless method described doesn't sound so bad. But if I would burn to death instead (especially if the alternative would be painless deaths for those 10 others), I'm afraid that that would really change things. Doing the right thing when it means quietly going to sleep (and never waking up) is one thing, pushing a button that will cause me excruciating pain and then death is another.

And my point is that in no moral dilemma is there a black and white choice like that which is being presented to us. Doing the right thing is not touching any of the damn buttons.

 

[Marik2]

My life is more important to me than 10 random people I don't know. Call me biased, but hey.

You sure love your pragmatism, dont ya?

 

[woots7]

the monkey sphere comes into play again, sorry people.

 

[Treblaine]

This is such a stupid SAW scenario.

More so because it misunderstand how white-phosphorus works, if it is thrown into a room you'll suffocate before you "burn to death". Mainly because it takes DAYS to die from burns through dehydration and wound infection.

But mainly how do I know if I press the button the captor won't just kill me any way? How do I know the button won't directly kill me? How Do I know the button isn't just some sick "test" to justify doing something far worse to me. All I have is what he says, which could be lies, why should I assume he is the same as the SAW villain?

Don't just say "huuur, it just I okay" BECAUSE I REALLY HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING!!!!

No I won't press the button because this is bullshit and I'm fucking fed up that SEVEN FUCKING SAW FILMS THAT GOT MADE!!! What the fuck is this "huurr, ahm so clever setting up moral dilemmas, hurf a durf" contrived bullshit. It's not clever, it's exploitative and contrived.

It is the utter contrivance I cannot stand, how the crazy guy LITERALLY HAS TO EXPLAIN the dilemma rather than letting them explore it. It's so shallow and contrived and arbitrary, if it weren't so violent I'd expect to find such inane riddles in a Happy Meal. There are such interesting fatal dilemmas in the world to explore, what is this obsession with being captive of a serial killer, I will not ever understand.

So no I am not going to press any button because:
(a) there is no guarantee AT ALL this will save me nor anyone, it is most likely a trick.
(b) I only have his word this gas will kill me and why the fuck should I trust someone who kidnapped me? Gas sounds like a bluff.

Best thing I can do is what they won't expect, try to escape. This button is a distraction, I'm going to rip the button out of the wall and try to destroy the circuit sabotaging his entire "experiment".

"I don't believe in the no win scenario"

-Captain James T Kirk

 

[Treblaine]

Only 5.4% believe in searching for a 3rd option?

Shame on you Escapist Community. I'd expect better from you. I'm starting to see why the terrorists think they can win, that evil people think that piling on the pressure you can force people into a binary choice.

NEVER accept such terms! When the enemy is at your gates saying "Surrender or Die" you say "Fuck you, I'll kill you all and live!"

People can go without food and water for a LONG time, and there are 11 people missing, that is a long time to either be found or find a way to escape, or somehow signal for you rescue. There is no way this guy kidnapped so many people without leaving some trail.

I mean this is a structure likely built by one guy, it can't be that sturdy. Not with 10 + 1 people trying to break their way out with every motivation to do so.

 

[awesomeClaw]

This is such a stupid SAW scenario.

More so because it misunderstand how white-phosphorus works, if it is thrown into a room you'll suffocate before you "burn to death". Mainly because it takes DAYS to die from burns through dehydration and wound infection.

But mainly how do I know if I press the button the captor won't just kill me any way? How do I know the button won't directly kill me? How Do I know the button isn't just some sick "test" to justify doing something far worse to me. All I have is what he says, which could be lies, why should I assume he is the same as the SAW villain?

Don't just say "huuur, it just I okay" BECAUSE I REALLY HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING!!!!

No I won't press the button because this is bullshit and I'm fucking fed up that SEVEN FUCKING SAW FILMS THAT GOT MADE!!! What the fuck is this "huurr, ahm so clever setting up moral dilemmas, hurf a durf" contrived bullshit. It's not clever, it's exploitative and contrived.

It is the utter contrivance I cannot stand, how the crazy guy LITERALLY HAS TO EXPLAIN the dilemma rather than letting them explore it. It's so shallow and contrived and arbitrary, if it weren't so violent I'd expect to find such inane riddles in a Happy Meal. There are such interesting fatal dilemmas in the world to explore, what is this obsession with being captive of a serial killer, I will not ever understand.

So no I am not going to press any button because:
(a) there is no guarantee AT ALL this will save me nor anyone, it is most likely a trick.
(b) I only have his word this gas will kill me and why the fuck should I trust someone who kidnapped me? Gas sounds like a bluff.

Best thing I can do is what they won't expect, try to escape. This button is a distraction, I'm going to rip the button out of the wall and try to destroy the circuit sabotaging his entire "experiment".

"I don't believe in the no win scenario"

-Captain James T Kirk

Okay then.

The Voice once again speaks "Any attempts at an escape will kill all of you."

Happy? And why are you so bitter. Can´t you just enjoy a little dilemma without getting sand in your arse?

Now you have no alternatives, except the ones proscribed.