If you could save the world by killing someone, would you do it?

[Scott Mayers]

Here's an interesting related question: If you could save 'your' world by harming any other or others, would you do it? To be more specific I am asking whether one's subjective interpretation about their own world relates to one's own favor in some way? If so, as I believe it is, anything that harms you personally is a good justification for harming any other or others. Note that I'm not stating that I favor harming of or by anyone. I'm saying that if one could 'save the world', that what they believe of what this 'world' means is significantly indistinguishable from one's selfish perspective of their own 'world'. So if you perceive a harmful world existing, you may opt to be more harmful to claim at least some benefit within your world.

[Hobbes' Choice]

Here's an interesting related question: If you could save 'your' world by harming any other or others, would you do it? To be more specific I am asking whether one's subjective interpretation about their own world relates to one's own favor in some way? If so, as I believe it is, anything that harms you personally is a good justification for harming any other or others. Note that I'm not stating that I favor harming of or by anyone. I'm saying that if one could 'save the world', that what they believe of what this 'world' means is significantly indistinguishable from one's selfish perspective of their own 'world'. So if you perceive a harmful world existing, you may opt to be more harmful to claim at least some benefit within your world.

We do it all the time. Political misdirection has been engineered by wars since 1945. The big world to suffer is the people's attempts to bring social justice to their countries and the world of Islam. All done in the name of directing attention from home affairs where the rich are systematically draining the wealth from the poorest at creaming it off the top for themselves.
When one family owns more that 130 million Americans, we ought to not be so bothered about ISIS, Isreal, Immigration, Syria etc..

[Hobbes' Choice]

I'd rather kill the world to save one person...

Please press this button, Nicola.

I press it, if I knew the means of the extinction, and was able to unpress it when the human population got to a more manageable level.

[Gary Childress]

A special case of does the end justify the means? I favor it to preserve humanity (a case that arose recently in a milder form is isolating those that may have contracted Ebola).

What do you think?

PhilX

This is a very ambiguous OP. In the subject we are asked if we would kill a person to save the world without much context of what sort of circumstance could exist to warrant the action. The "milder" example you give in the text is of an Ebola victim. These are very different examples. We don't kill Ebola victims, we isolate them and even treat them to ease their suffering. In fact nurses and doctors have selflessly died while treating those suffering from Ebola. I think that says a LOT about compassion and humanity.

[SpheresOfBalance]

A special case of does the end justify the means? I favor it to preserve humanity (a case that arose recently in a milder form is isolating those that may have contracted Ebola).

What do you think?

PhilX

You've got to be kidding me! The ultimate expression of love and/or bravery is self sacrifice. And so the opposite is true!

If the universe sees fit to change one of it's many reflections, so does the universe, as I'm one of those reflections, and as such, I'm all for the next one!

[A_Seagull]

Why would I want to save "the world"?.... shrug......

But if I could save myself or my children by killing someone..... sure .. why not!

[Craig95005]

Anyone who says he wouldn't is almost surely lying. If he truly believes that it would be wrong to do so, he has no actual concern for other people, he thinks morality consists of a set of rules, he isn't a moral individual by my standards, and most likely not a decent person.

[SpheresOfBalance]

Why would I want to save "the world"?.... shrug......

But if I could save myself or my children by killing someone..... sure .. why not!

And so you've framed yourself. Thank you!

[SpheresOfBalance]

Anyone who says he wouldn't is almost surely lying.
And so you've only just defined yourself, not necessarily anyone else!

If he truly believes that it would be wrong to do so, he has no actual concern for other people, he thinks morality consists of a set of rules, he isn't a moral individual by my standards, and most likely not a decent person.

Your selfishness rules your confusion, unfortunately a very common thing. Fear is the mind killer, and most are only capable of paying homage to it. Your example is in fact common place, you're probably not capable of an outstanding performance, for fear is your master!

[Lawrence Crocker]

Some very strong believers in inviolable individual rights have recognized, or at least speculated upon, a "catastrophe override" for such cases, fortunately more frequent in the philosophical imagination than in the real world, where the innocent toddler is toddling towards the doomsday trigger and your are too far away to respond with anything but your assault rifle. Nozick, for example, has at least a footnote recognizing the possibility of such an override. It would have been nice if he had explored in a little more systematic depth.

[SpheresOfBalance]

Some very strong believers in inviolable individual rights have recognized, or at least speculated upon, a "catastrophe override" for such cases, fortunately more frequent in the philosophical imagination than in the real world, where the innocent toddler is toddling towards the doomsday trigger and your are too far away to respond with anything but your assault rifle. Nozick, for example, has at least a footnote recognizing the possibility of such an override. It would have been nice if he had explored in a little more systematic depth.

Yes, of course, the selfish human wants to live at all costs, even if it's in the denial of his own error in judgment. I say if the human animal is stupid enough to build a doomsday device, and then again, in allowing one incapable of using reason, if there is such a thing possible in such a case, to decide it's disposition, then I for one say, they deserve to be obliterated, save the unsuspecting trigger toddler. But then in such a case I don't see much difference between the toddler and those believing they are in any way superior in reason.

[Arising_uk]

... if there is such a thing possible in such a case, to decide it's disposition, then I for one say, they deserve to be obliterated, save the unsuspecting trigger toddler. ...

Er! Doomsday device?

[SpheresOfBalance]

... if there is such a thing possible in such a case, to decide it's disposition, then I for one say, they deserve to be obliterated, save the unsuspecting trigger toddler. ...

Er! Doomsday device?

What's up arising? I'll not contribute my response as your meaning until you give me a little more, hopefully something that my mind can sink it's teeth into, without sensing some sort of demeaning insinuation on your part, as I really prefer that everyone gets along in their sharing of ideas. REALLY!!

What I highlighted in red above referred to what came before it, not after it, it was a comment on "reason," so I'm wondering why you started with that, not that my aim here is to negatively respond as to your comprehension ability. We just speak differently, obviously! My way, surely a product of isolation.

[Arising_uk]

What's up arising? I'll not contribute my response as your meaning until you give me a little more, hopefully something that my mind can sink it's teeth into, without sensing some sort of demeaning insinuation on your part, as I really prefer that everyone gets along in their sharing of ideas. REALLY!!

What I highlighted in red above referred to what came before it, not after it, it was a comment on "reason," so I'm wondering why you started with that, not that my aim here is to negatively respond as to your comprehension ability. We just speak differently, obviously! My way, surely a product of isolation.

The point is that you cannot save the baby as if you don't shoot her she'll trigger a doomsday device that will kill her along with everyone else, which include billions of other toddlers. So what would you do?

[vegetariantaxidermy]

It depends on who the person was. There are plenty of people I would happily kill to save one rat.