Do you pull the switch?

We've had a real-life philosophy problem right in front of us this last two weeks, with the sad case of Andrea Clark. Now, here's your chance to see why it's so hard for some who call themselves "philosophers" and "ethicists." (Or maybe why so many of them seem to have gone insane.)

The BBC has an article on their online magazine titled, "What if...?". The author, Daniel Sokol, lays out some of the classic philosophy thought problems for us, and there is an on-line poll that will allow you to test yourself.

Of course, these are pretty fantastic cases, with either-or answers. As I commented on the page, we shouldn't make up our ethics and laws during emergencies and based on hard cases.

When we are theorizing, we can lay down right and wrong, and evaluate each intention and action. In real life, we may make ethical mistakes because of the perceived emergency or crisis, our own emotions and prejudices, and gut-reactions.

It's human nature to justify those mistakes by elaborate explanations and arguments. I call this the "I Want" school of ethics. But every body has different wants, and they often conflict with other's and our own needs.

(Begin "Rolling Stone" sound track.)
(For the younger crowd: "You cain't always get what ya want.....")

On the contrary, the reactions and emotions to hard cases and in emergencies simply reflect how well we've learned our ethics lessons. We may not act with the intention to cause the death of another person unless that person is a real threat to someone's life.