Is there any way you could prove that inaction (do nothing and "allow" the five people to die) is morally wrong in this situation? — Marin
I would like to hear everyone's thoughts about this. Thank you for your time — Marin
Are you saying that inaction would result would be seen as culpable homicide? In this situation, by not doing anything, we are simply an onlooker. The runaway trolley killed the five people, not I. You could of course say that I have the moral duty to try to save the majority, but when does a moral duty to act create a legal duty of care and therefore give rise to potential criminal liability for breach of that duty? There are several things that must be proven, and one of them is that you have to prove that I have a duty of care towards either that 1 person or those 5. I don't. I have never seen them in my life and even if I had some degree of responsability for, say, those 5 people on the main track, I can't be prosecuted for "Didn't kill A to save B" as I can't be prosecuted under the law for not killing an innocent person.Apparently it is to most legislators. See culpable homicide. The 1 vs. 5 element would have an interesting effect.
I would like to hear they ways inaction could be proven morally wrong in this situation. — Marin
If, then, you want inaction to be wrong, you can look for some Rosetta stone of ethics that will tell you it's wrong, or, you can adduce such arguments as you find compelling to make your case even if just to yourself.
Fair enoughIf the intent behind the inaction is to enjoy the carnage, then it is wrong.
Also, I'm not sure I'm following what your point is. Could you perhaps rephrase it so I could understand it better? — Marin
It may seem contentious, but how do you know this? Or do you know this? Or do you just "think" it? Or just believe it? And assuming that "inaction" is a decision wrt a set of possibilities that includes action, then inaction is just a choice of an action, yes?I think of "inaction" as "absence of action". — Marin
How can you be doing nothing wrong if nothing is what you're doing? Or are all nothings wrong?If you’re doing nothing, you’re doing nothing wrong. — Pfhorrest
The point is that if you are not doing anything (“doing nothing”), then you are not doing anything that could be wrong. — Pfhorrest
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