1337xxxlolololxxx1337 Posted:
A child is about to get hit by a truck. I can save the child, but I might die or be injured. Well, I guess I’ll just stand here because it’s not in my enlightened self-interest. Log in to see images!
Use your reason the child is a value, but if it cannot be saved and you still try the action is not in your self interests. If you can save it without being hurt you have acted on your value. However if you don’t have the time; which makes this a good example, to determine whether you can safe it successfully or not then you weigh the value of your life to the value you hold in the child’s life and too against the risk of loosing your life. But also would you want to live and not have have tried to save it’s life? I have balls so I would definitely try too.
If you do know whether you can save it or not your course of action is enlightened. If you do not your just going to have to take the risk. Saving the child’s life is in my OWN self interests because I would feel a lot better knowing it was somewhere learning the letters then in the morgue. If I get injured I am willing to accept it. The time I don’t stay in hospital is a far less value to me then the child’s life.
Now if you know you can’t save it know that you will die trying it is suicide and nothing more and that is immoral. If you value the child’s life higher then your own life and know you’ll get killed in the process it’s morality depends on how much you value your life; I would save it then. But if I was a child too. Then it would not make any sense for me to kill myself to save it. But the older and more accomplished I was I would hesitate less to save it. If I was an old man that was about to die in a year anyways it would not be a sacrifice to me at all. I would value the kids chances at life higher then playing backgammon at the retirement home. If I knew I could save it without any injury and did not, it would be immoral because I grant in this example that I take value in the child’s life (duh). If I knew I could not save it and would die in the process it would also be evil. For the same reasons suicide is immoral.
