say that you are the driver of the car....you are the only one in the car.......
you are the only caregiver of your child...there will be no one left if you pass on
you have been the only one there to meet your childs needs emotionally, financially...etc...to no fault of your own. (what if they are in some way disable and depend on you fully also)...
o.k. the question is this.........if you swerve to miss the child that has just walked into your lane, you will be killed, ( you will not miss semi-truck in other lane) leaving your child with absolutly no one but the state....and I mean no one..........
if you kill the child who has just walked into your cars path...well, we all know the answer to that one..
my question is this..........are you not just as responsible, if not more responsible for your own childs wellbeing???
I am not a monster, just want opinions........
keep in mind, you can add nothing...there is no hidden aunt ready to take your child...he/she will be all alone
2007-02-22 07:22:25 · 13 answers · asked by amber 5 in Social Science ➔ Psychology
I am in an ethics class at college and we consider alot of these delimas, this is just one that I have been pondering for quite some time now....not, thank heavens, this has never happened to me....all I want here is opinions....there are usually two sides to every story... thank you for your answers...especially parents...I truly appreciate you taking the time....
2007-02-22 07:35:40 · update #1
I don't think you're a monster for asking this question at all. Self preservation in and of itself might make you (just as quickly as you are about to swerve to avoid hitting a child) swerve right back to save yourself. After all the semi truck could be flammable, ALL of you can end up dying, etc...there are all kinds of factors. I think the real common sense that might take place would be that you would think of what might be the safest course of action...even if it's just for you. Come on, NO ONE would WANT to kill a child. The devastation you'd be left with alone would be torture, but in the flash of a moment, you would probably do whatever instinct is stronger. Even with all the thought you put into this, it's very logical that you might end up doing the very opposite of what you tell yourself you would do.
It's very possible that most women would say they would swerve to avoid the child as we have maternal instincts. I think most men have more of the survival instinct and would probably serve to save themselves. That doesn't make them monsters in any way though.
2007-02-22 07:38:13 · answer #1 · answered by Oh Suhnny Day 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Either way the state is going to seize custody of your child and put him/her in a foster home where they will have a life. It won't necessarily be a great life but it will be a life. If you choose to not swerve and kill the child in the road, you may still get visitation rights to your child. If you decide to swerve into the other lane and hit the semi, there is a possibility that the semi will jack-knife and possibly still kill the child in the road, and will leave two or more people dead. Basically, the best choice is to hit the child and hope for the best, that is of course if your brakes don't work. I hope this answers your question seeing as how the actual question you asked, which was, "Are you not just as responsible, if not more responsible for your own childs wellbeing?" has no bearing on or relation to the evidence and hypothetical situation you presented.
2007-02-22 07:38:16 · answer #2 · answered by Jack 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is a false choice. Life doesn't occur in this way.
How do you KNOW you cannot stop in time to avoid hitting the child?
How do you KNOW the child will die if you hit it?
How do you KNOW you will hit a car if you swerve?
How do you KNOW that you will die in that collision?
How do you KNOW that the child will be safe if you swerve?
How do you KNOW that there are no other options?
In other words, this is a nice story, but it just can't happen this way.
A reasonable driver drives in such a way that they don't feel guilty about any collision that occurs - they have done all that they could to avoid a collision... what more can be expected? Typical collisions occur in a fraction of a second, and aren't exactly situations for long rumination in any case.
If you're trying to get to a particular ethical point, you should probably either just flat-out state it or come up with a more plausible example.
2007-02-22 08:03:37 · answer #3 · answered by Doctor Why 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First instinct as a parent or any responsible adult: Swerve to miss the child.
No one would have time to think this situation through. Anyone's first response would be to swerve, not noticing the oncoming traffic, unless you were quick enough to swerve to the right and miss both traffic and child. This is not something you can plan ahead for.
2007-02-22 07:30:38 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You don't even need to include your own child in the argument.
You are not ethically required to sacrifice your own life to save another.
In your scenario, I'd plow right through the child.
Swerving into the path of the semi endangers your life, the child in the road, and the driver of the semi.
Plowing through only endangers the life of the child.
I'd feel horrible about killing someone that way, but I would feel I made the right decision.
2007-02-22 07:29:57 · answer #5 · answered by Vegan 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wow, you ask difficult questions. Confidentiality vs Child safety. You have a legal obligation that is directly opposed to a moral obligation. You know either way you go it is a wrong decision. And a right one. I think I would error toward the safety of the kids and leak the information out to the public. Guess that's why I could never do a job like yours. This is one of those times I both envy you and pity you at the same time. No way to protect the heart in this situation.
2016-05-23 23:35:46 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It isn't an ethical dilemma--you are the one driving your car, the child in the street has nothing to do with the fact that you own a car and are driving it, it is your responsibility to do whatever you can to avoid hurting/killing someone with it.
2007-02-22 07:25:55 · answer #7 · answered by Gen•X•er (I love zombies!) 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's all instinct, baby. You are hot-wired to protect YOUR offspring and your own life. I would personally definitely NOT swerve into the truck. I WOULD definitely hit the brakes as hard as possible and lay on the horn. I'm sorry if this happened to you.
2007-02-22 07:30:48 · answer #8 · answered by gilgamesh 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nice question....
I would avoid hitting the child, even if it meant driving into the path of the truck.
My child (hopefully) would know that I sacrificed myself to save another person's life and will gain strength from that. You expect to lose your parents, maybe not at a young age, but you know that chances are you will outlive them.
No parent should have to bury their child.
2007-02-22 07:29:13 · answer #9 · answered by Nasubi 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
swerve and be killed. Eventhough your child will become a state ward, think of the child that you're gonna kill.
Besides, if you have time to think about all this before you make a decision, then you probably would have time to stop.
2007-02-22 07:28:29 · answer #10 · answered by James L 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋