Moral Dilemma: A Father's Agonizing Choice?

Question

You are an inmate in a concentration camp. A sadistic guard is about to hang your son who tried to escape and wants you to pull the chair from underneath him. He says that if you don't he will not only kill your son but some other innocent inmate as well. You don't have any doubt that he means what he says. What should you do?

copied from:
http://www.friesian.com/valley/dilemmas.htm

the point in moral dilemma exercises is to decide based on the choices you have. You cannot make up other possible choices, they do not exist and are not possible. You cannot overpower the guard or escape.

Answer 1

Morality is a black and white issue. If the guard kills someone because you wouldn't kill your son, then both murders are on him. You can try to obfuscate the truth as much as you want. It only becomes muddy in the mind that doesn't seek clarity.

Answer 2

With either choice, I would lose my son. So I would choose to pull the chair and pray that I had the strength to do it.

There would be a young boy still living in the camp who I would see every day and know that, because of my son, he lives. The sadist loses, because my son's death gave life to another. And where there is life, there is hope.

Answer 3

I wouldn't pull the chair. I'd take the chance that my son, the other inmate and I could somehow overpower the guard.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

I would still not pull the chair. The guard will kill the other inmate eventually anyway. Whether now or later doesn't matter.

I disagree with Lawrence. Morality is not black and white.

Answer 6

everyone is going to die anyway, right?
Look into the eyes of your son and ask forgiveness.
The son says, that's okay, don't let anymore suffer because of my actions.
Grab a hold of the back of the chair and whisper somewhere in the back of your head: "I love you." Then pull.

"I may go to hell for this," you say to the guard as your son's body gives its last twitch, "but I'm going to see you there."

Answer 7

Pull the chair, there is no meaning in 2 sacrifices.

Answer 8

Kill the guard.

Answer 9

Let the guard kill them. It would be on his conscience, not mine, that he murdered two people. At least I would know I was not the cause of my son's death.

Answer 10

Always obey God, and leave the rest to Him....thus, do not contribute to the death of your own son - no matter the consequences.