Ask questions via twitter! Message any question to @answers on twitter. We'll publish the question and send you a reply each time there's a new answer.
Next Question

Answered Question

emmett117 emmett117
 
February 03, 2009 01:50 AM

Would you push a button to receive one million dollars but one random person in the world would die?

what if that person was a random person that you knew, or a family member, or some one important in the world?(answer all 4 questions!)what if you got more than one million? what's the minimum you would have to receive?
Interesting Question?  Yes (4)   No (0)   
RSS
 
 

Best Answer  Chosen by Asker

geoff geoff
 
 February 03, 2009 02:29 AM
1) No. 2) No. 3) No. 4) No. 5) No amount would be enough.

This question was asked in an ethics class I took in 10th grade. At the time I didn't know how I would act if I was actually confronted with this choice. Over the years my mind has wandered back to this question and I'm pretty certain I would never do it. The awfulness of my actions would always haunt me, and, even if there was an added bonus option to wipe your memory of what you did to get the money, I just don't see how I could push that button.

An interesting collateral question: would you push a button to get where you're going five minutes faster at the increased risk of causing a random person to die? It's a button many people push every day . . .


Helpful Answer?  (1)   (0)    Tip geoff for this answer
Permalink | Report
   Reply  
 
 
geoff geoff
 
February 07, 2009 01:14 AM
Darcy, I soooo know what you mean! :)

Report
 
 

Other Answers (9)

Sort By
alfy alfy
 
February 03, 2009 02:41 AM
NO as long as i am sane

Helpful Answer?  (0)   (0)    Tip alfy for this answer
Permalink | Report
   Reply  
 
 
tracebooks tracebooks
 
February 03, 2009 02:43 AM
1. No. 2. No. 3. No. 4. No amount could ever be enough.

I've also seen this question before. VERY briefly, it sounds tempting. But I could never do it. The money would make me sick very shortly after receiving it, and everything I bought with it or used it for would become tainted to me.

You know the 5 Degrees of Separation from Kevin Bacon? It's really true, and you could put almost anyone's name in that slot. It's even amazing if you do it just to 3 degrees.

I could never do it, for any amount, to anyone.

Helpful Answer?  (0)   (0)    Tip tracebooks for this answer
Permalink | Report
   Reply  
 
 
shakespear... shakespear...
 
February 03, 2009 02:52 AM
Random person? Nope. Never ever, because by definition of the question you're killing an innocent person (barring the neglible possibility that you happen to take out someone who was himself a murderer).

But can I spin the question? What if you got to pick the person? Could you go into a nursing home and find someone who wanted to be put out of their misery? Then would you do it?

Helpful Answer?  (0)   (0)    Tip shakespearegeek for this answer
Permalink | Report
   Reply  
 
 
emmett117 emmett117
 
February 03, 2009 10:13 PM
yes you could pick the person but you wouldn't receive any money.
would you still do it? what amount of money would you need to "help" a person in a nursing home?

Report
 
 
randomlose... randomlose...
 
February 03, 2009 03:27 AM
yes.
if random person i knew (or family member) then no.
someone important then not sure, there are lots of important ppl that should die.

Helpful Answer?  (0)   (0)    Tip randomloser for this answer
Permalink | Report
   Reply  
 
 
windap55 windap55
 
February 03, 2009 03:30 AM
NO!!!

Helpful Answer?  (0)   (0)    Tip windap55 for this answer
Permalink | Report
   Reply  
 
 
ssmacd ssmacd
 
February 03, 2009 04:37 AM
1.No 2. No 3.No 4.No No amount of money would be enough

Helpful Answer?  (0)   (0)    Tip ssmacd for this answer
Permalink | Report
   Reply  
 
 
tonty tonty
 
February 03, 2009 04:46 AM
To be honest, I would honestly give 1 million if I could save one random person even if I only had 1 miilion.

Helpful Answer?  (0)   (0)    Tip tonty for this answer
Permalink | Report
   Reply  
 
 
seashell55 seashell55
 
February 04, 2009 12:09 PM
Most people, myself included, will answer 'no' to the 4 questions and state that no amount of money would induce us to change our minds. And probably no amount of money would be the motivator to do what the question asks.

However, put the question in the context of society where the random killing would be a patriotic deed, perhaps saving democracy in the United States from the hands of 'evil' extremists, and the answers would probably be decidedly different. But who are the authorities that are determining there are 'evil' extremists ready to wrest democracy from its very roots and should they be believed?
Source(s):
When Good People Do Evil
http://www.yalealumnimagazine.com/issues/2007_01/milgram.html

Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil
http://www.iep.utm.edu/a/arendt.htm


Helpful Answer?  (0)   (0)    Tip seashell55 for this answer
Permalink | Report
   Reply  
 
 
bbrookin bbrookin
 
February 04, 2009 06:00 PM

Under no condition would I exchange the life of anyone for money: No for all 4 permutations of the question. Money doesn't have that kind of attraction for me, so the "known" in this scenario (how much money I would receieve/what it would do for my life) has little leverage against the "unknown" (who would die? How would that person contribute to the world? His/her family? Might I be killing more than one person by removing a family's only support?)

If I had less - for instance, if I was one of the newly desperate homeless people in this country, trying to support my family - I might see this as more of a "It's going to be me and mine or someone else" issue. As Alfred P. Doolittle said "No, I can't afford [morals], Governor. Neither
could you if you was as poor as me.

 


Source(s):
Script of My Fair Lady, found at: http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/m/my-fair-lady-script-transcript...


Helpful Answer?  (0)   (0)    Tip bbrookin for this answer
Permalink | Report
   Reply  
 
 

Answer this Question

How tips and payments work

This question has already been resolved. You may add an answer to it but you will not be eligible to win best answer or any associated tips.

Related Questions

View All Sociology Questions

Ask a Question


140 characters left
Top of Page
Buy Mahalo Dollars with Credit Card or PayPal

Top Members

This Week All Time
  • cfinke
    cfinke
    2nd Degree Black Belt
    27126 Points
    M$29.75 Earned
  • bunnyphuph...
    bunnyphuph...
    2nd Degree Black Belt
    21128 Points
    M$760.89 Earned
  • thisjustme
    thisjustme
    Green Belt
    1155 Points
    M$76.30 Earned
   See All
 

Most Popular Tags

mahalo(1779)
twitter(972)
music(494)
iphone(485)
google(390)
online(360)
food(339)
internet(309)
beer(284)
money(283)
movies(278)
facebook(270)
apple(259)
answers(241)
aotd(235)
free(232)
health(228)
video(222)
dog(212)
windows(211)
   See All
 

Categories

Welcome New Members


 
 
Mahalo Dollars are the currency of Mahalo Answers.

Each Mahalo Dollar costs $1.

Once you earn more than 40 Mahalo Dollars, you can request to be paid via PayPal. Each Mahalo Dollar is currently worth $0.75 when paid out via PayPal. Learn More

 
 

Please log in to use this function.

Answers Home | Ask a Question | Earn Points | How Tips Work | Widget