Lifeboat ethics

The definition of an ideal “good life” can vary from person to person based on their values, experiences and beliefs. Numerous individuals struggle with trying to search for what type of person one would have to be to live the good life well. Is it the person who donates every penny to charity? Is it the person who contributes to society through positive actions? Or is it the person who is concerned with their success? There are some that believe that living a good life is based on just one…

As population numbers of every country is different, needed resources are also unequal. In our crowded world, there are many people who are living good lives while two thirds of the population are living a poor life. Through Lifeboat Ethics: the Case against Helping the Poor written by Garrett Hardin (1974) it explains how there are many dangers of overpopulation through the world. Hardin goes into detail about how overpopulation and having different population’s causes for an unequal resource…

I presented my 11-year-old daughter with the dilemma of 5 people on a lifeboat from last week’s unit. According to Lilli, “Four of them should throw one off of the boat.” I then asked her why and what determines who is thrown overboard. She replied that the four strongest should throw the weakest overboard because they have the best chance. She said it is survival of the fittest. I then inserted our 5-member family into the scenario, of which she is the smallest. She still insisted she should be…

important to help us navigate the confusing and disorienting time of a disaster.” Although ethics and morals are important in everyday life, they become of greater importance during a time of difficulty. In the book, The Lifeboat, by Charlotte Rogan, the morals of Grace Winter reflect the value of doing what is good for the entire community, no matter the consequences of doing so, which contradicts the ethics of her society due to the illegality of murder. The action of the fight between herself…

different morals that they have acquired through out their life and this helps them decide which ethical perspective that they believe in. One instance, of where you can look at multiple ethical perspectives to solve a problem comes from the essay “Lifeboat Ethics” by Garrett Harden, which is about being shipwrecked in the middle of the ocean and having to choose who you want to let on the boat. There are 50 people who are on the boat and there is room for only 10 more people, while there are…

which is “a trait of character, manifested in habitual action, that is good for anyone to have.” When approaching the lifeboat situation, Virtue Ethics are difficult to apply as it is argued it does not act normally like an approach to ethical dilemmas like Kantianism or Utilitarianism. In fact, it does not fit squarely into pegs that are thought experiments and this lifeboat situation is no different. So, instead of focusing on the virtues of the passengers, we must consider what are the…

The Lifeboat Dilemma There were several issues involving ethics in The Queen v. Dudley and Stephens case. The case facts are subject to a major ethical issue involving whether it is ethical to kill a man to save three. Some would argue that when given a situation where at least one person will die, we should try to save as many human lives as possible. Others should state that the value of human life is immeasurable. Who are we to decide if one life is equal to another? To decide my position on…

Many would agree that murder is the most morally atrocious and impermissible thing that an autonomous being can commit. As well, many would agree that there is a certain moral obligation that everyone should have to their fellow man, and hence feel some obligation to help prevent the suffering of a fellow man if the opportunity presents itself. However, how far does that obligation stretch? Does it go beyond the bounds of only being morally responsible for the circumstances that you can see in…

In order to make a solid ethical decision, one must; “recognize an ethical issue, get the facts, evaluate alternative actions, make a decision, test it, and act and reflect on the outcome” (Velasquez et al. 278). There are several outcomes that could occur based upon what approach is taken, some people believe in choosing the route that will benefit them the most, while some people believe in carrying out what is best for the people around them. “The Runaway Trolley Car,” depicts the scenario…

Utilitarianism is a consequentialist moral theory, where actions are judged right or wrong solely by virtue of their consequences which was introduced by Jeremy Bentham and later carried out by John Stuart Mill (Kemerling,2011). In regards to the consequences the only importance is the amount of happiness or unhappiness that was produced. In regards to utilitarianism it is believed that everyone counts as one, and no one counts as less or more than another person. And that a person should do…