A Utilitarian Situation Ethics Question

[DAF]

Okay, so a buddy of mine needs to write a situation paper for his Philosophy. Here's the situation:

There's been a shipwreck, and there are 15 survivors, some injured. There is only 1 lifeboat that holds only 7 people, what does one do? In the paper you could, but as a moral Catholic, you can't just say "dump 8 off the side," so what's the answer? lol

Thanks!
in Christ,
Mason

Edited January 30, 2007 by DAF

[cmotherofpirl]

Have 7 in the boat and 8 holding on the side. Switch every couple hours.

[Thy Geekdom Come]

You ask for volunteers who will die for the rest. Those who volunteer, tell them they're staying on the boat (you'll need good, virtuous people on your boat). Then ask again. Those who volunteer, throw them off the boat (they're only volunteering because they think they'll save their lives).

: Okay, so that was Marilyn Vos Avant's answer in Parade Magazine.

I don't know what I'd do.

[Laudate_Dominum]

In the movies they usually draw straws. Oh, if there are any women and children they get on the boat by default, but the men have to draw straws. hehe

[Paddington]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' post='1179794' date='Jan 29 2007, 11:53 PM']
Have 7 in the boat and 8 holding on the side. Switch every couple hours.
[/quote]

Awesome

[quote name='Raphael' post='1179795' date='Jan 29 2007, 11:54 PM']
You ask for volunteers who will die for the rest. Those who volunteer, tell them they're staying on the boat (you'll need good, virtuous people on your boat). [/quote]

If there were Catholics who could not remember any unconfessed grave sin, should they try to give up their life automatically?

[Aloysius]

woen and children first. then whichever men the women and children most want/need (husbands, fathers). if that produces too high a surplus, draw straws.

cmom's answer works if it's not freezing/dangerous water (if you're shipwrecked in the carribean, it might just work)... but if it is freezing/dangerous then that would put everyone in risk of dying. better that eight should sacrifice themselves for the other seven than risk the death of all 15.

if I had an unconfessed mortal sin, I would not compound that sinfulness with selfishness. It would not enter my mind that "I should be allowed to survive so I can get to confession". I would certainly have strong desire of confession and forgiveness (likely enough desire that it would bring about the effects of the sacrament).

If you were in a burning Church, would you push a little old lady into the fire in order to get to the priest to hear your confession? no, at some point it is time to resign yourself to the mercy of God. God would not be pleased with someone risking the lives of others to receive sacramental confession.

on the flip side, then, I do not see that being necessary to the equation of who stays/goes even for the noble one with no sin on his conscience.

[Paddington]

It does seem like bringing salvation into the decision, mistrusts God's sovereignty and mercy. But, if you take that too far, you end up never evangelizing. (It happens.)