Hard question from my friend

[John]

Re: Hard question from my friend

Don't know how I get drawn into these philosophical discussions. They never seem to produce anything but gratification for the ego, that is, if you know and can come up with clever arguments. That's why I gave up philosophy and switched to Zen. I suppose it's necessary for nurses and doctors to study biomedical ethics mostly to be able to cover themselves against legal proceedings being taken against them. In that case there is, for instance, a distinction that can be drawn between killing and allowing someone to die. But you notice that it's others' judgments of us that we are most concerned with here. But for most of us most of the time it seems more necessary to me to judge what to do from our own direct experience rather than be guided into sometimes bizarre solutions dreamed up by one person applying abstract logic to human situations,

Gassho,
John

[Chris H]

Re: Hard question from my friend

The guy dies. The one guy. I'm not sure about a lot of things but I'm sure about this. Am I the only one? Seems like an obvious choice.

(I assume the individuals were chosen at random)

[Chris H]

Re: Hard question from my friend

It's interesting to ponder though. I thought, what if the individual was my daughter? I think then I'd have to say, "Sorry everyone, nothing personal", and deep down that exposes some uncomfortable things about myself. Sure, as a loving father I have a powerful innate need to protect my daughter at all costs, but a thousand people! I could be that selfish I think, and it's interesting to see that my choice, which is inspired by a deep feeling of love for my daughter, a desperate attachment, could in a sense create such harm.