I need help with this critical thinking question?

Question

Your the captain of a ship that sank and there're 30 survivors crowed into one life boat design to hold only 7. The weather is stormy and getting worse: you have no food or fresh water.To save any of your survivor, you have to lighten the load on the life boat, or all will die, You have to decide who you will throw overboard, describe how you will make your decision.

Answer 1

I always liked these sort of questions, thought provoking and emotionally provocative as well.

First, I would seek the Lord in prayer, asking Him to either calm the storm or calm the people. Then, I guess I would implement a rotation of people in the water holding on to the life boat as best they could. Being the captain, I imagine I would be the first to go into the water.

What would you do?

Answer 2

Quickly, because soon those people will realize they don't need a captain and will throw ME overboard!

I'd put my arms on the shoulders of the people nearest me and tell them they'll be with me to the end. Then I'd order them to throw everyone else overboard.

I'd also like to kill some of the others and string their bodies behind the boat for food, but I'm afraid that might draw sharks. We'd need a smaller boat to hold the bodies.

EDIT:

The last thing you'll find help with HERE is critical thinking!

Answer 3

As the captain of the ship, I would consider it my responsibility to sacrifice my life for the passengers. And the same would go for any crewman that served under me.

The only thing that might alter that decision would be if my skills, or that of my crewmen might be needed to guide the boat, etc.

Depending on who is left, I would ask for volunteers.

Beyond that, anyone who did not have a child to care for would be exempt. Those who did not would draw straws or something similar.

Anyone who resisted, once they were chosen, would be forcefully thrown overboard by the crew. And then myself and the crew would jump out.

(And any crewman that wouldn't follow such an order wouldn't be serving under me, to begin with. This is the sort of thing that ANYONE who seeks the benefits of being a leader has to consider beforehand. Anyone who is going to be a leader, needs to understand that he is a servant, first and foremost)

Answer 4

They get tossed from biggest to smallest, so the greatest number of people can be saved. Unless you're considering cannibalism, in which case it's the other way around, throw the small people and eat the big ones.

Answer 5

I save the strongest. You don't want to save people that are probably not going to be able to survive anyways. Sad but true. I would also make sure I have a decent male:female ratio just in case we land on a deserted island and need to populate.

Answer 6

I'd tell my fellows what must be done, then show them how by stepping over the side. It would probably leave seven cowards, but that would be OK.

We've done it before, RE the Titanic and Monroe Castle.

Answer 7

I would be the first to volunteer to be thrown overboard, and would make sure that the children & their mothers stayed in the boat.

Answer 8

I will ask how many are Christians and believe Jesus' words in John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends."?

Those that raise their hands, jump over board. The rest need to find their own solution. I did what I could.

Answer 9

You have not mentioned the genders, age, weigth of anyone! I'd say save women and children!
Edit: I'd kill captain like sabrina though without a second thought!

Answer 10

This is YOUR homework. And YOUR ethics. You have to decide that yourself.

You might decide young people have a greater right to life. Or people who have a greater liklihood of surviving a long time at sea. Or educated people or...who knows? You're the only one who knows your own ethics.