| 2011-04-17 11:00:41
| #virus from 2011-04-17 11:00:00 (showing messages 1-30) Bookmark the permanent url.
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| 11:00:41 | Lucifer | Welcome to the weekly chat |
| 11:00:51 | Lucifer | today's topic is experimental ethics |
| 11:01:01 | Lucifer | specifically I would like to discuss the trolley problem |
| 11:01:08 | Lucifer | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problem |
| 11:01:36 | Lucifer | "A trolley is running out of control down a track. In its path are five people who have been tied to the track by a mad philosopher. Fortunately, you could flip a switch, which will lead the trolley down a different track to safety. Unfortunately, there is a single person tied to that track. Should you flip the switch or do nothing?" |
| 11:02:39 | Lucifer | that's the original formulation |
| 11:02:53 | Lucifer | there have been many subsequent variations, but we'll get to those later |
| 11:05:59 | MoEnzyme | hmmmm . . . okay everything else being equal, I'd flip the switch. |
| 11:06:31 | MoEnzyme | And then I'd try to figure out if there is anything else I could do to save that one person. |
| 11:06:45 | MoEnzyme | or derail the trolley. |
| 11:06:55 | MoEnzyme | same difference I guess. |
| 11:07:41 | Fritz | Fritz (~heroldwa@[death to spam].74.12.48.183) has joined #virus |
| 11:07:43 | MoEnzyme | I'm not sure there is actually a right answer here. |
| 11:07:52 | MoEnzyme | Heya Fritz! |
| 11:08:05 | Fritz | Fritz (~heroldwa@[death to spam].74.12.48.183) has quit IRC [Quit: Today is a good day to chat.] |
| 11:08:31 | MoEnzyme | but that's the decision I personally feel least uncomfortable about. |
| 11:09:01 | Lucifer | it is stipulated that there is no way to save the one person |
| 11:09:07 | Lucifer | if you flip the switdch |
| 11:09:43 | Lucifer | OK, let's see what the implications are in some variations |
| 11:09:49 | MoEnzyme | of course, just always looking for that escape possibility. |
| 11:10:07 | Lucifer | sure you can look, but you won't find any escape possibility |
| 11:10:19 | MoEnzyme | I'd of course call the authorities on that mad philosopher after the fact. |
| 11:10:28 | Lucifer | heh |
| 11:10:30 | MoEnzyme | I figured. |
| 11:10:35 | Lucifer | the next variation is called Fat Man |
| 11:10:38 | Lucifer | "As before, a trolley is hurtling down a track towards five people. You are on a bridge under which it will pass, and you can stop it by dropping a heavy weight in front of it. As it happens, there is a very fat man next to you - your only way to stop the trolley is to push him over the bridge and onto the track, killing him to save five. Should you proceed?" |
| 11:12:07 | Lucifer | what do you think? |
| 11:12:52 | MoEnzyme | Well as a mental exercise, I think that's about the same as the first one. It just takes greater effort, and seems more personal. In reality I would probably have greater inhibitions to overcome. |
| 11:13:09 | Lucifer | * Lucifer nods |
| 11:13:23 | MoEnzyme | but I could live with it. |
