Conquer Club

How many baby seals would you kill in order to save one human?

Scenario: "Push a button, and BAM!, Dead baby seals ---> one human saved."

Ah, the classic philosophy question, baby seals vs humans.

It all depends on the method.

If I had to, say, eat the seal alive using nothing but that knife that dude used to chop of his hand, then like 1-2 tops.
If however it's more like press a button and they're dead, I'd kill a lot of those little buggers. hundreds, thousands maybe. Guess it also depends on the person.

depends.

there are some humans that i wouldn't kill a single baby seal to save because they are better off dead

not all organisms of the same species have the same value.

john9blue wrote:depends.

there are some humans that i wouldn't kill a single baby seal to save because they are better off dead

not all organisms of the same species have the same value.

So, since you feel that way, you wouldn't object at all if someone killed you. You wouldn't defend yourself?

pimpdave wrote:

john9blue wrote:depends.

there are some humans that i wouldn't kill a single baby seal to save because they are better off dead

not all organisms of the same species have the same value.

So, since you feel that way, you wouldn't object at all if someone killed you. You wouldn't defend yourself?

i believe that my life has value.

i thank you for providing an example for my theory, however.

Haggis_McMutton wrote:Ah, the classic philosophy question, baby seals vs humans.

It all depends on the method.

If I had to, say, eat the seal alive using nothing but that knife that dude used to chop of his hand, then like 1-2 tops.
If however it's more like press a button and they're dead, I'd kill a lot of those little buggers. hundreds, thousands maybe. Guess it also depends on the person.

Okay, let's say, "Push a button, and BAM!, Dead baby seals ---> one human saved."

(edited above, good feedback, Haggis. I'd kill at lesat 1000 baby seals to save your life--maybe all the baby seals.)

little fuckers had it coming anyways.

john9blue wrote:depends.

there are some humans that i wouldn't kill a single baby seal to save because they are better off dead

not all organisms of the same species have the same value.

Are you implying that some humans aren't worth saving? Even at the cost of ONE dead baby seal?

Dude, I might change the scenario and give you a bonus, miniature dead baby seal furcoat (or gloves, that would make more sense).

BigBallinStalin wrote:

john9blue wrote:depends.

there are some humans that i wouldn't kill a single baby seal to save because they are better off dead

not all organisms of the same species have the same value.

Are you implying that some humans aren't worth saving? Even at the cost of ONE dead baby seal?

Dude, I might change the scenario and give you a bonus, miniature dead baby seal furcoat (or gloves, that would make more sense).

Would you kill a Baby seal for Hitler?

How many people do we have to save? I mean, are we assuming we have an infinite number of seals here or what?

-rd

john9blue wrote:

pimpdave wrote:

john9blue wrote:depends.

there are some humans that i wouldn't kill a single baby seal to save because they are better off dead

not all organisms of the same species have the same value.

So, since you feel that way, you wouldn't object at all if someone killed you. You wouldn't defend yourself?

i believe that my life has value.

i thank you for providing an example for my theory, however.

I think that was a legitimate question, though. You're stating that in this scenario, you would let the horrible person die in place of the seals. However, this means that you're the judge of character, or that those wretches you would let die believe that their life has no value. I'm sure Hitler thought he was a swell guy.

-TG

TA1LGUNN3R wrote:
I think that was a legitimate question, though. You're stating that in this scenario, you would let the horrible person die in place of the seals. However, this means that you're the judge of character, or that those wretches you would let die believe that their life has no value. I'm sure Hitler thought he was a swell guy.

-TG

if a horrible person was honest about how bad they were, and how bad their effect on the world was, then they would understand why they had to die. unfortunately, most horrible people do not understand why they are horrible, or are too self-centered to accept that they should die.

also, i'm assuming a role of omnipotence here, being a "perfect judge of human worth" even though i'm not a perfect judge IRL. just because i can't identify with 100% accuracy which people deserve to die doesn't mean that the world wouldn't be better off with some of us dead.

BigBallinStalin wrote:How many baby seals would you kill in order to save one human?

Scenario: "Push a button, and BAM!, Dead baby seals ---> one human saved."

These dilemmas are interesting but impossiby difficult to answer,suppose you killed off the entire species of seals and with it the as yet undiscovered cure for cancer,AIDS,whatever?

j9b wrote:if a horrible person was honest about how bad they were, and how bad their effect on the world was, then they would understand why they had to die. unfortunately, most horrible people do not understand why they are horrible, or are too self-centered to accept that they should die.

Y'know, moral relativism and all that.

-TG

Baron Von PWN wrote:

BigBallinStalin wrote:

john9blue wrote:depends.

there are some humans that i wouldn't kill a single baby seal to save because they are better off dead

not all organisms of the same species have the same value.

Are you implying that some humans aren't worth saving? Even at the cost of ONE dead baby seal?

Dude, I might change the scenario and give you a bonus, miniature dead baby seal furcoat (or gloves, that would make more sense).

Would you kill a Baby seal for Hitler?

Curses, BVP! You and your devious ways!

The problem with your Hitler example is that we enjoy the benefit of knowing much about this particular person, his actions, and their consequences. In the example ITT, we don't have nearly as much information on the person we're saving.

rdsrds2120 wrote:How many people do we have to save?

One.

rdsrds2120 wrote:I mean, are we assuming we have an infinite number of seals here or what?

-rd

I don't know how many total baby seals there are in the world, so use your best estimate.

chang50 wrote:

BigBallinStalin wrote:How many baby seals would you kill in order to save one human?

Scenario: "Push a button, and BAM!, Dead baby seals ---> one human saved."

These dilemmas are interesting but impossiby difficult to answer,suppose you killed off the entire species of seals and with it the as yet undiscovered cure for cancer,AIDS,whatever?

MY GOD. A possible unintended consequence!

I'd still kill 1000+ baby seals to save one human. I'd probably save a few seals in several zoos in order to avoid the potential dilemma which you mentioned.

BigBallinStalin wrote:

Baron Von PWN wrote:

BigBallinStalin wrote:

john9blue wrote:depends.

there are some humans that i wouldn't kill a single baby seal to save because they are better off dead

not all organisms of the same species have the same value.

Are you implying that some humans aren't worth saving? Even at the cost of ONE dead baby seal?

Dude, I might change the scenario and give you a bonus, miniature dead baby seal furcoat (or gloves, that would make more sense).

Would you kill a Baby seal for Hitler?

Curses, BVP! You and your devious ways!

The problem with your Hitler example is that we enjoy the benefit of knowing much about this particular person, his actions, and their consequences. In the example ITT, we don't have nearly as much information on the person we're saving.

Well all we have to do is establish some humans are not worth saving. For example I would not kill a baby seal if it were to save Joesef Ratzinger (the man who imprisoned his daughters in his basement for many years so he could rape them).

However if it's a random human I know nothing about then sure.

Baron Von PWN wrote:
However if it's a random human I know nothing about then sure.

Right. There's the uncertainty. That's an important aspect of this decision.

Baron Von PWN wrote:Well all we have to do is establish some humans are not worth saving. For example I would not kill a baby seal if it were to save Joesef Ratzinger (the man who imprisoned his daughters in his basement for many years so he could rape them).

wait, the Pope had daughters hidden in his basement?

Zero.

I couldn't consciously, willingly kill another thing, even if I was saving another life in the process. I would be disturbing the natural order of things. I'm not saying the man had it coming to him, but I would want the same result to be as if I wasn't there. It would be easier for me to wash my hands clean from someone I could have saved but didn't, than to live with the fact that I took a life in my hands and ended it, when it didn't deserve to end. The same holds true if it were a seal.

I know this is irrational, but it's just how I feel. Feel free to shoot holes in it.

narthuro wrote:Zero.

I couldn't consciously, willingly kill another thing, even if I was saving another life in the process. I would be disturbing the natural order of things. I'm not saying the man had it coming to him, but I would want the same result to be as if I wasn't there. It would be easier for me to wash my hands clean from someone I could have saved but didn't, than to live with the fact that I took a life in my hands and ended it, when it didn't deserve to end. The same holds true if it were a seal.

I know this is irrational, but it's just how I feel. Feel free to shoot holes in it.

WELL WHAT"DYA KNOW?!?!

Looks like you let someone die!

teh horror.

On a slightly more serious note, I'd like to hear your input later in this thread after more people vote.

Other than narturo, why did people vote ZERO?

Baby seals die all the time, people die all the time. Why do I have to worry about killing either? I voted 0.

Nola_Lifer wrote:Baby seals die all the time, people die all the time. Why do I have to worry about killing either? I voted 0.

How does it feel, to kill an imaginary person?