Ethics are very very heavily influenced by one consideration: other people’s opinions. It may not be consciously admitted, but when people faced with an ethical conundrum, I think they make a decision that’s based on the question “What will people think of me?”. (The internalized version is: “What will I think of myself?” / “Will I be able to look at myself in the mirror?”).
The question here relates to letting 5 people die (by inaction) or killing one person (by taking action). If you pick the second one, then you’re actively responsible for that death. You were the killer. And that’s the sort of action that will get you judged by other people. That’s the sort of action that will make other people label you as a killer, as a betrayer, as an untreatable person. Therefore, we’re very heavily biased against certain things, and those biases don’t allow for utilitarian ethics.
It’s very often true that drunk people care less than sober people about what others think of them.
Completely Ad-Hoc proposal:
Ethics are very very heavily influenced by one consideration: other people’s opinions. It may not be consciously admitted, but when people faced with an ethical conundrum, I think they make a decision that’s based on the question “What will people think of me?”. (The internalized version is: “What will I think of myself?” / “Will I be able to look at myself in the mirror?”).
The question here relates to letting 5 people die (by inaction) or killing one person (by taking action). If you pick the second one, then you’re actively responsible for that death. You were the killer. And that’s the sort of action that will get you judged by other people. That’s the sort of action that will make other people label you as a killer, as a betrayer, as an untreatable person. Therefore, we’re very heavily biased against certain things, and those biases don’t allow for utilitarian ethics.
It’s very often true that drunk people care less than sober people about what others think of them.