A Mythical Question

[_vili]

This is a question that my teacher asked me on class of philosophy.

You are in a situation where your son is playing under a lift bridge which is up and the train with 200 passengers is coming, and you are supposed to fall the bridge down, but if you do it your son will be flatten.

You have time only for one action:

1. Save your son, and let the train crash and kill 200 passengers. or
2. Fall the bridge when the passengers life and the train saves, but your son dies.

Which one would you choose?

 

[Guest]

There are a few problems I'm finding in your question:
If by lift bridge you mean something like this, where would the son be playing?
If you didn't mean a bridge like that, but a bridge with land underneath it, why would there be a need for a bridge?

I'm probably getting the bridge wrong but to answer your question anyway, I'd choose to leave the bridge up: If the train is long enough to carry 200 people, surely only the front majority would be killed and at least some may survive.
Plus, the train driver would have been braking long before impact seeing the bridge wasn't lowered.

Anyone would do anything to protect their own family or friends, killing their own son to protect 200 people who probably wouldn't even feel grateful is something nobody would do.

 

[_vili]

Holy <snip> you're good.

I didn't get the idea bridge even by my own but you got the idea.
And of course question like this never has the "correct" answer.
Your answer to the actual question sounds like the one most of people would choose in the last hand.
But at that moment i would fall the bridge, but after what is done, is done, I would regret it.

 

[popular101]

i choose my son..well its really hard

 

[Zeroifrit]

I would chose my son , because he would be the most important thing in my life.
And as it is for those 200 i didn't even know them.

 

[tehexmen]

I would choose my son too. 1 Son > 200 people that I don't know.

 

[popular101]

you must choose what your heart told to you.

 

[Zeroifrit]

Well like i said i would chose my son. You made me think about this today and i discussed with friends in school and all of them said the same . Son . So what some peoples would save 200 others but then who will they have to play with. That's the way i tough so i would ALWAYS chose my son.

 

[cris09]

Wow. I am afraid to post here since everyone has given a single answer. I think I will choose to save the lives of 200 people. I know most of them will no accept my decision, but that's what I feel.

 

[GameOver]

I will choose to save my son.

 

[Flow'n]

The biggest problem is you wouldn't have time to think if you didn't see it coming.

 

[***]

i would choose my son

 

[Dawn of War]

There are a few problems I'm finding in your question:
If by lift bridge you mean something like this, where would the son be playing?
If you didn't mean a bridge like that, but a bridge with land underneath it, why would there be a need for a bridge?

I'm probably getting the bridge wrong but to answer your question anyway, I'd choose to leave the bridge up: If the train is long enough to carry 200 people, surely only the front majority would be killed and at least some may survive.
Plus, the train driver would have been braking long before impact seeing the bridge wasn't lowered.

Anyone would do anything to protect their own family or friends, killing their own son to protect 200 people who probably wouldn't even feel grateful is something nobody would do.

well said friend

 

[wethegreenpeople]

The logical thing to do would to save the 200 people. Because, those are 200 people compared to one life.

What I'd probably do is save my son because he is my son.

But Anonymous has it right if you want to think about it really logically.

 

[Alta La-Ahad]

Anonymus is right ,but think about it a little who of you could gave of you on flesh and blood.
For me I would save my son,but if there is a third option for me to die I would like to save the bouth.Who knows how many other kids are there in train,or how mana fathers and mothers. So instead of them dieyng i would gladly gave my life if I could choose that.

 

[CrossFires]

I think I'll chose my son to :/ THis is damn hard question

 

[Flow'n]

We are all saying soon but in the end we would just save ourselves.

 

[Alta La-Ahad]

We are all saying soon but in the end we would just save ourselves.

hah i am not shure about that I would rather save my son he would be more precious to me then my own life.

By the way son not soon

 

[CrossFires]

I think 80% of peapople would chose the son

 

[jamei]

I will choose the train w/ 200 people in it. My son would be proud of me if i will choose a lot of people to be saved rather than 1person and the others get killed.