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You are the owner of a small business trying to make ends meet. Your spouse is sick and needs an expensive drug treatment in order to save her. However, this treatment is not at all sure to work, but you are desperate to try anything. It occurs to you that you could get more money back in your tax return by pretending that some of your personal expenses are business expenses.
For example, you could pretend that the stereo in your bedroom is being used in the lounge at the office, or that your dinners out with your wife and friends are dinners with clients. You are well aware that this would be tax fraud and the money you are taking from the community would be desperately needed for communal expenses like schools or municipal hospitals.
You are faced with a choice between two options:
Option A: Even though it means committing tax fraud - you decide to scramble together the money for your spouse’s treatment.
Option B: Even though you risk not being able to scramble together the money for your spouse’s treatment - you decide to refrain from committing tax fraud.
Is it morally permissible to choose option A? |
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How sure are you about this?
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| Which option is more morally permissible: Option A or Option B? |
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You are a doctor. You have two patients who are both critically ill waiting for the same organ transplant operation. Both patients will die if nothing is done immediately.
Patient A has been waiting for many years and has suffered a long time due to his illness. You feel he deserved the organ although his illness has weakened him so much that his chance of survival after surgery are very low.
Patient B’s chance of surviving the operation is much higher, since he has been waiting for only a year and endured far less suffering from his defective organ.
You are faced with a choice between two options:
Option A: Even though Patient B has a much higher chance of surviving surgery - you decide to give the organ to Person A because he has waited much longer for the organ.
Option B: Even though Person A has waited much longer - you decide to give the organ to Patient B because he has a much higher chance of surviving surgery.
• Is it morally permissible to choose option A?
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How sure are you about this?
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| Which option is more morally permissible: Option A or Option B? |
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A runaway trolley is heading down the tracks toward five workmen who will be killed if the trolley proceeds on its present course. You are on a footbridge over the tracks, in between the approaching trolley and the five workmen. Next to you on this footbridge is a stranger who happens to be very large.
The only way to save the lives of the five workmen is to push this stranger off the bridge and onto the tracks below where his large body will stop the trolley. The stranger will die if you do this, but the five workmen will be saved.
You are faced with a choice between two options:
Option A: Even though it means pushing the stranger in front of the trolley - you decide to save the five workmen.
Option B: Even though it means letting the five workmen die - you decide to leave the stranger untouched.
• Is it morally permissible to choose option A?
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You are part of a group of ecologists who live in a remote stretch of jungle. The entire group, which includes eight children, has been taken hostage by a group of paramilitary terrorists. One of the terrorists takes a liking to you. He informs you that his leader intends to kill you and the rest of the hostages the following morning.
He is willing to help you and the children escape, but as an act of good faith he wants you to kill one of your fellow hostages whom he does not like.
You are faced with a choice between two options:
Option A: Even though it means you have to kill the other hostage - you decide to save the lives of the other hostages.
Option B: Even though it means that all hostages will die - you decide to leave the other hostage untouched.
• Is it morally permissible to choose option A?
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You are on a cruise ship when there is a fire on board, and the ship has to be abandoned. The lifeboats are carrying many more people than they were designed to carry. The lifeboat you’re in is sitting dangerously low in the water—a few inches lower and it will sink.
The seas start to get rough, and the boat begins to fill with water. If nothing is done it will sink before the rescue boats arrive and everyone on board will die. However, there is one injured person who is unlikely to survive in any case. If you throw that person overboard the boat will stay afloat and the remaining 30 passengers will be saved.
You are faced with a choice between two options:
Option A: Even though it means pushing the injured person overboard - you decide to save the remaining passengers
Option B: Even though it means that all passengers will drown - Youdecide not to push the injured person overboard
• Is it morally permissible to choose option A?
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You are a good law abiding citizen who is raising money for a charity. The deadline for meeting your target sum is at midnight and you are just short of 50 euros. If you meet your goal, the money collected would be doubled by being matched by sponsor.
You are walking down the street when you come across a wallet lying on the ground. You open the wallet and find that it contains several hundred dollars in cash as well the owner’s driver’s license.
From the credit cards and other items in the wallet it’s very clear that the wallet’s owner is wealthy. You, on the other hand, just need 50 euros for your charity goal. You consider sending the wallet back to the owner without the cash, keeping the cash for yourself.
You are faced with a choice between two options:
Option A: Even though it means stealing the money - you keep the money you found in the wallet in order to double the money for your charity
Option B: Even though it means being able to double the money for your charity - you refrain from stealing the money
• Is it morally permissible to choose option A?
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