Faint
Well-Known Member
If you're as bored as I am, perhaps you'd like to offer your opinion on the following "what if" scenarios:
1) Imagine that it's the distant future, and we have found a planet other than earth that can support life. Now let's say that this planet is inhabited by an intelligent alien species that does not want us humans to live on their world. These aliens have nothing against humanity, except that they have discovered that when humans breathe their air, we produce an airborne virus that is fatal to their kind. And if large amounts of humans move to their planet, we will in fact contaminate their atmosphere to such a degree that their entire race will die.
Also, let's say that earth at this point has become too screwed up to support us. So as humans we have the choice--we can either stay on earth and risk extinction, or travel to this other planet and cause the extinction of an alien species so that we may survive. Which option would you support?
2) Scientists have discovered the secret to immortality--it is killing other people. They have created a device (let's call it the "vampirator") which drains the life essence of another individual, then converts this essence to a single dose of a chemical which you then inject into yourself, which makes you immune to old age and disease. Thus, you can stay young and healthy forever. All you need to do is use this vampirator device once. But the catch is that the vampirator cannot be used on a dead body, and whoever you use the device on will die from the procedure. The company that sells vampirators will provide you with a free inmate on death row with your purchase of their product. This inmate will die so that you can have your dose of immortality. Would you buy and use this product?
Now, let's say that due to increased demand, the company has run out of death row inmates, but they have government approval to use cloned human babies (grown in labs, for use 1 week after they are "born"). Would you use the vampirator product now knowing that a baby less than a week old will die?
3) It turns out that God actually exists and he decides to offer you a deal. You have two options: first, God says that he wants to eliminate evil from the world and start over by putting humans back into the garden/paradise. To do this, he will completely obliterate all humans except for you and one other (your choice) of the opposite sex. The two of you will live for centuries in paradise and become the parents of a new human race--one without the capacity to do evil. In other words, over a billion people will die so that future generations of humanity will live without problems like murder, rape, assault, war, etc. However, those who initially die in this action will not be given access to heaven (or hell)--they will be entirely obliterated--souls and all.
Your second option is to do nothing, and allow things to continue as they are. Which option would you choose? Does the good of the (future) many outweigh the good of the (present) many?
1) Imagine that it's the distant future, and we have found a planet other than earth that can support life. Now let's say that this planet is inhabited by an intelligent alien species that does not want us humans to live on their world. These aliens have nothing against humanity, except that they have discovered that when humans breathe their air, we produce an airborne virus that is fatal to their kind. And if large amounts of humans move to their planet, we will in fact contaminate their atmosphere to such a degree that their entire race will die.
Also, let's say that earth at this point has become too screwed up to support us. So as humans we have the choice--we can either stay on earth and risk extinction, or travel to this other planet and cause the extinction of an alien species so that we may survive. Which option would you support?
2) Scientists have discovered the secret to immortality--it is killing other people. They have created a device (let's call it the "vampirator") which drains the life essence of another individual, then converts this essence to a single dose of a chemical which you then inject into yourself, which makes you immune to old age and disease. Thus, you can stay young and healthy forever. All you need to do is use this vampirator device once. But the catch is that the vampirator cannot be used on a dead body, and whoever you use the device on will die from the procedure. The company that sells vampirators will provide you with a free inmate on death row with your purchase of their product. This inmate will die so that you can have your dose of immortality. Would you buy and use this product?
Now, let's say that due to increased demand, the company has run out of death row inmates, but they have government approval to use cloned human babies (grown in labs, for use 1 week after they are "born"). Would you use the vampirator product now knowing that a baby less than a week old will die?
3) It turns out that God actually exists and he decides to offer you a deal. You have two options: first, God says that he wants to eliminate evil from the world and start over by putting humans back into the garden/paradise. To do this, he will completely obliterate all humans except for you and one other (your choice) of the opposite sex. The two of you will live for centuries in paradise and become the parents of a new human race--one without the capacity to do evil. In other words, over a billion people will die so that future generations of humanity will live without problems like murder, rape, assault, war, etc. However, those who initially die in this action will not be given access to heaven (or hell)--they will be entirely obliterated--souls and all.
Your second option is to do nothing, and allow things to continue as they are. Which option would you choose? Does the good of the (future) many outweigh the good of the (present) many?
. Anyhow this is a surefire method of reaching problem number one...
