There are two buttons in front of you; button A and Button B. Which do you press?

Button A: if pressed you, and everyone you have ever seen in person both up close and at a distance, will die.

Button B: if pressed you, and everyone in the world EXCEPT for the people you have seen in person both up close and at a distance, will die.

If no button is pressed: the scenario of button A will occur.

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SW-User

Neither. Choosing either one would go against my moral code.

Eternity · 26-30, M

@SW-User so button A it is

SW-User

@Eternity Yes. Although with the significant difference that I'm not choosing it.

I'd die without any innocent blood on my hands which is better for me than living knowing that I killed innocent people to save myself.

Elessar · 26-30, M

@SW-User Well, that's a nice way to look at it. I think I would personally still feel guilty for the implicit choice.

Eternity · 26-30, M

@SW-User inaction is still an action.

A lot of people who lived in nazi Germany would tell you that. People who stood by while people were dragged from their homes...

Teslin · M

@SW-User Thank you. Who would ever want this type of harm on anyone!!!

SW-User

@Eternity true but in this case I have no choice that can cause anything but innocent death and so I can't take part.

You're right about inaction but it's a moot point when all choices and inaction will lead to people dying

Eternity · 26-30, M

@SW-User that's fair. I'm just saying that even if you do nothing blood is still on your hands.

So doing nothing to avoid blood on your hands will not save you from what you sought to avoid.

You'd do better to say that you will do nothing simply because you don't want to do anything.

SW-User

@Eternity Well that's a matter of interpretation and your take on morality.

I wouldn't believe myself responsible.

In my eyes, whoever arranged this scenario would be responsible for death. I would not be choosing for anyone to die. They would be choosing it.

And my only option to prevent them doing that would be to explicitly choose to kill people. Which I couldn't do

Eternity · 26-30, M

@SW-User fair enough.

What if the people responsible for orchestrating this scenario were the people of the world?

Similar to how the people of our world have made it so that we are always just a few bad decisions away from nuclear annihilation, what if the people in this hypothetical world were responsible for the circumstances that facilitated this choice?

Would that change your answer?