proposing that the fatter the bystander gets the less his worth is may be unfair; at least he'll be good for ice cream store profits...
however, I don't believe that that was really what you meant - it's more an example of some balance of the size of the evils and the confidence you put in the estimates and the way people will treat you and - with the ultimate result that you don't *want* to do either even if you think one may be (objectively, in as much as morals are)*better*. One thing is, the people falling over the cliff doesn't affect you, unless any of them are related to you. So if you back away and pretend you didn't see it happening, you have only your guilt to live with, and no *real* consequences such as being taken over by the germans and having all the trains run on time.
(by contrast, I think the thing about your children being shot does try and set up an equality on that evil equation)
no subject
Date: 2005-04-07 11:32 am (UTC)(weight_of_passive_evil*sum_of_worths_of_people_in_cart) = (weight_of_active_evil*worth_of_bystander)
proposing that the fatter the bystander gets the less his worth is may be unfair; at least he'll be good for ice cream store profits...
however, I don't believe that that was really what you meant - it's more an example of some balance of the size of the evils and the confidence you put in the estimates and the way people will treat you and - with the ultimate result that you don't *want* to do either even if you think one may be (objectively, in as much as morals are)*better*. One thing is, the people falling over the cliff doesn't affect you, unless any of them are related to you. So if you back away and pretend you didn't see it happening, you have only your guilt to live with, and no *real* consequences such as being taken over by the germans and having all the trains run on time.
(by contrast, I think the thing about your children being shot does try and set up an equality on that evil equation)
I don't know what my point was any more ;)