Painting or the Cat

Quote: FinsRule

You're a mass murderer?

Yeah, and how do you murder a Catholic service anyway? By fumbling the Latin?

As for the original question, I think my action would likely be to get myself killed chasing after that stupid cat.

Quote: cclub79

+1 on being a little weirded out when I read that line.

He works for Orkin. Remember, this thread devolved into a debate over which kinds of life were worth saving. It's probable that he has the blood of millions of cockroaches on his hands.

From the episode of The Office that was JUST on TBS:

Andy: I'll drop an ethics bomb on you. Would you steal bread to feed your family? ... Boom!
Dwight: It's a trick question. The bread is poisoned. Also, it's not your real family. You've been cuckolded by a stronger, smarter male.
Andy: No that's... not how it works.
Michael: I would not... steal the bread. And I would not let my family go hungry.

Quote: cclub79

Dwight: It's a trick question. The bread is poisoned. Also, it's not your real family. You've been cuckolded by a stronger, smarter male.

Sounds like the kind of comment that has been made here several times already.

Quote: Wizard

Sounds like the kind of comment that has been made here several times already.

Indeed.

On the other hand, that's the plot of Les Misserables by Victor Hugo.

My beef is that ethical questions are too complicated and requrie much more than a mere rhethorical question. Also ethics do change between normal times and emergencies; therfore these lifeboat/fire/desert scenarios are not a good basis for the discussion of ethics.

The painting is an original and cannot be replaced with a duplicate genuine.
However, copies abound that can be hung in place... A lost masterpiece.

Presuming the cat will die if left behind, saving the cat is saving a life.

The age old question of Whats a life worth?... any life.

Spare the cat and spoil the riches sez I. arrrrr.

Besides, the fireman might be sworn to save a life when possible, if possible.
MOOT POLL therefore... the cat is saved by sworn oath alone!

Now about that diamond collar said cat is wearing.....

98Clubs

Quote: Nareed

My beef is that ethical questions are too complicated and requrie much more than a mere rhethorical question. Also ethics do change between normal times and emergencies; therfore these lifeboat/fire/desert scenarios are not a good basis for the discussion of ethics.

Actually, such discussions are useful because they uncover people's inclinations, and you need an element of abstraction to get a true reading of those. The very fact that ethical questions ARE murky in real life doesn't make an intellectual exercise invalid. I would very strongly disagree that ethics do change, or should change, in times of emergency--such times are when ethics often prove indispensible. Also, having considered potential ethical dilemmas beforehand, using thought exercises such as we have been discussing, can help us apply ethics to those emergency situations when they do arise--rather than having to come up with the "answers" cold turkey, and under stress to boot.

Quote: mkl654321

Actually, such discussions are useful because they uncover people's inclinations, and you need an element of abstraction to get a true reading of those. The very fact that ethical questions ARE murky in real life doesn't make an intellectual exercise invalid. I would very strongly disagree that ethics do change, or should change, in times of emergency--such times are when ethics often prove indispensible. Also, having considered potential ethical dilemmas beforehand, using thought exercises such as we have been discussing, can help us apply ethics to those emergency situations when they do arise--rather than having to come up with the "answers" cold turkey, and under stress to boot.

Amen, brother! Very well said. It is hard to have a good discussion about ethics and philosophy without posing a hypothetical question to sink your teeth into. I think it is the easy way out to ridicule the question. Ultimately, this does come down to the question of what a life is worth, as you said. I'm not saying there is a right or wrong answer about whether the life of a cat is worth more than a painting worth in the millions. What I do like to see is an answer on either side, backed up with a good argument.

Quote: mkl654321

Actually, such discussions are useful because they uncover people's inclinations, and you need an element of abstraction to get a true reading of those. The very fact that ethical questions ARE murky in real life doesn't make an intellectual exercise invalid. I would very strongly disagree that ethics do change, or should change, in times of emergency--such times are when ethics often prove indispensible. Also, having considered potential ethical dilemmas beforehand, using thought exercises such as we have been discussing, can help us apply ethics to those emergency situations when they do arise--rather than having to come up with the "answers" cold turkey, and under stress to boot.

Now that I can get behind! Nice post.

Quote: Wizard

Amen, brother! Very well said. It is hard to have a good discussion about ethics and philosophy without posing a hypothetical question to sink your teeth into. I think it is the easy way out to ridicule the question. Ultimately, this does come down to the question of what a life is worth, as you said. I'm not saying there is a right or wrong answer about whether the life of a cat is worth more than a painting worth in the millions. What I do like to see is an answer on either side, backed up with a good argument.

Does "I'm selfish and generally feel a stronger emotional connection to cats than rembrandt" count? :P