@Zuban. I’m familiar with the contrivances used to force the responder into a binary choice. I just think that the contrivances are where the real questions are. Why am I in that situation? Was my behavior beyond reproach up to that point? Could I have averted this earlier? Is it someone else’s evil action that is a threat? I think in most situations, the moral answer is rather clear, because there are always more choices. E.g., ask the fat man to jump. or do nothing and let him make his own choice, as I could only have averted it by committing murder. or even jump with him.
With the lever: who has put me in the position of having a lever? did they tie up the five people?
Someone tells me that if I shoot my wife, they will spare my daughter, otherwise he’ll shoot both of them. What’s the right choice? I won’t murder, thus I have only one (moral) choice (if I believe him, and if I can think of a reductionist reason to have any morality, which I can’t). The other man’s choice is his own.
@Zuban. I’m familiar with the contrivances used to force the responder into a binary choice. I just think that the contrivances are where the real questions are. Why am I in that situation? Was my behavior beyond reproach up to that point? Could I have averted this earlier? Is it someone else’s evil action that is a threat? I think in most situations, the moral answer is rather clear, because there are always more choices. E.g., ask the fat man to jump. or do nothing and let him make his own choice, as I could only have averted it by committing murder. or even jump with him.
With the lever: who has put me in the position of having a lever? did they tie up the five people?
Someone tells me that if I shoot my wife, they will spare my daughter, otherwise he’ll shoot both of them. What’s the right choice? I won’t murder, thus I have only one (moral) choice (if I believe him, and if I can think of a reductionist reason to have any morality, which I can’t). The other man’s choice is his own.