You have to press one of two buttons, button A means 500 of your countrymen die, button B means 1000....?

Question

foreigners die. Which button do you press?

Please don't pick on the details of this question it's not the point, ie don't say 'I'd press neither'. Assume for some reason (it doesn't matter what reason) you have to push one of the two - imagine if you press neither the world will blow up or something, or you're falling on the buttons and you can only avoid one, whatever you like. Which do you choose?

Assume here that you don't know any of the individuals in either group personally.

Have I stopped beating my wife yet? What?!?

Have I stopped beating my wife yet? What?!?

Oops clicked twice. And the point of my question here is not whether you'd make a utilitarian ethical analysis - this thought experiment removes all other moral considerations so that's all that's left. I'm basically trying to gauge whether people view their countrymen as more valuable than foreigners - it's leading up to a rant about nationalism.

OK I get your point on loaded questions. I fully admit this would be a loaded question if I was asking it from a point of view of consequentialism vs virtue ethics, or something like that. I'm not making an argument for utilitarian theory here, it may well be that neither action is a moral choice. My sole point is to establish whether people view the lives of 500 of their countrymen as greater than 1000 foreigners, that's all, and with that particular agenda I don't believe it's loaded.

Answer 1

Button A

Answer 2

It would depend for me, if the 500 were all socialists and super whacked liberals I might consider them over the 1000 foreigners. But, honestly I would choose to execute the 1000 foreigners, over my countrymen. Not because of nationalism, but out of fairness. If it is like a 1000 from Europe they could just right it off as a small payment on the debt they owe us because of the Marshall Plan. My fellow countrymen never tried gassing gypsies like what happen to some of my ma's family.

Answer 3

I'd press button A because fewer people would die. It doesn't matter whether they're your own countrymen or not, all people have the same equal right to life.

If it were a time of war and the foreigners were my enemy then I'd press button B, but then under those circumstances I'd be pressing button B regularly anyway.

Answer 4

I have two answers to this question. One is, have you stopped beating your wife yet? Secondly, it depends on the system of ethical inquiry that one espouses. A utilitarian would undoubtedly choose button A on the basis of sheer consequences. However, what about a Christian who values all life and does not want to push either button. I personally cannot see any circumstances that would necessitate me pushing either button. It is my opinion that the question is not framed properly. Or, as another famous philosoper writes, most dilemmas are really false dilemmas. In actuality, they should be stated as trilemmas.

The point of the "have you stopped beating your wife yet" question is that certain questions are loaded or framed in such a manner that they become impossible to answer without incriminating the one replying.

Answer 5

Part of me is screaming kill the foreigners, but that's only because they live abroad and therefore aren't near me, so if I nuke them, their friends and relatives are going to have to travel a long way for revenge. So I'd feel more secure. However the guilt factor would be too much.
It would be too much with 500 as well, but that's probably what I'd do. Button A, kill the countrymen, less people die, although I'd have to add, it would probably be 502 fatalities.
If I had to wipe out a bunch of people, straight afterwards I'd hunt down and kill off whoever made me do it and then probably commit suicide. How could anyone live with themselves for killing off 500/501 people?

Answer 6

I would press which ever button meant saving more lives in the long term, therefor, if killing 1000 foreigners meant that I would save millions more in the long term as opposed to 1000 in the short term I would press the 1000 button. Same would count if killing 500 would save millions more in long term.

Answer 7

The foreigners would get it because in a random group of English people there is a possibility I would know some.

Answer 8

B. two reasons really: the world could use a break from losing more people rather than less. , if i chose button A some of these 'countrymen' could be my wife and children.

Answer 9

Why are u so hung up on death, i have seen another of your questions on the same sort of subject...if I had 2 buttons and 1 said blow up you and the other said George Bush (He's mad too)I would pick 1, get help , idiot.

Answer 10

A, cause 500 is less than 1000, and nationality is not important, I dont prefer my countrymen over foreigners...