Comparing the lives lost in 9/11 to motorcycle accidents is a kind of moral calculus that fails to respect the deeper human values involved. I would expect people who die on motorcycles to generally understand the risks. They are making a choice to risk their lives in an activity. Their deaths are tragic, but not as tragic. The people who died in the WTC did not make a choice to risk their lives, unless you consider going to work in a high rise in America to be a risky choice. If you’re doing moral calculus, you need to multiply in a factor for “not by known/accepted risk” to the deaths in the attack.
Tragedy of Death:
(by Known / Accepted Risk) < (by Unknown Risk) < (by Aggressor Who Offers No Choice)
My last post, though, since The More I Post, The More I’m Probably Wrong.
Comparing the lives lost in 9/11 to motorcycle accidents is a kind of moral calculus that fails to respect the deeper human values involved. I would expect people who die on motorcycles to generally understand the risks. They are making a choice to risk their lives in an activity. Their deaths are tragic, but not as tragic. The people who died in the WTC did not make a choice to risk their lives, unless you consider going to work in a high rise in America to be a risky choice. If you’re doing moral calculus, you need to multiply in a factor for “not by known/accepted risk” to the deaths in the attack.
Tragedy of Death: (by Known / Accepted Risk) < (by Unknown Risk) < (by Aggressor Who Offers No Choice)
My last post, though, since The More I Post, The More I’m Probably Wrong.