Would You Kill Your Son to Spare Another?

grainfedpraiboy

Electoral Member
Mar 15, 2009
715
1
18
Alberta The Last Best West
"You are an inmate in a concentration camp. A sadistic guard is about to hang your son who tried to escape and wants you to pull the chair from underneath him. He says that if you don’t he will not only kill your son but some other innocent inmate as well. You don’t have any doubt that he means what he says. What should you do?" (Question stolen from the internet).
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
547
113
Vernon, B.C.
"You are an inmate in a concentration camp. A sadistic guard is about to hang your son who tried to escape and wants you to pull the chair from underneath him. He says that if you don’t he will not only kill your son but some other innocent inmate as well. You don’t have any doubt that he means what he says. What should you do?" (Question stolen from the internet).


Kick the f**ker in the nuts.:)
 

Praxius

Mass'Debater
Dec 18, 2007
10,609
99
48
Halifax, NS & Melbourne, VIC
Well since we're all in a concentration camp and we're all going to die eventually, I wouldn't bother doing it. If my son has to die, then it won't be by my hands.... at the very least, I'd attempt to drive something into the neck of guard before I was killed and take as many out with me as I could.... even if that means nobody died and I was killed right away, I wouldn't be some idiots puppet for their sick games.
 

grainfedpraiboy

Electoral Member
Mar 15, 2009
715
1
18
Alberta The Last Best West
Watch Sophie's Choice and realise you ain't all that creative.

While I appreciate your proper Canadian spelling of "realise", you've mistaken a classic philosophical question as both based partly on the premise a movie and that I am it's origin.

I would also like to point out there are only three stories ever told in the history of humankind: Man against himself, man against man and man against the environment. Everything is ultimately a variation of those three and true creativity would be the creation of a fourth.
 

Tecumsehsbones

Hall of Fame Member
Mar 18, 2013
55,430
6,996
113
Washington DC
While I appreciate your proper Canadian spelling of "realise", you've mistaken a classic philosophical question as both based partly on the premise a movie and that I am it's origin.
You're being too literal. I wasn't addressing you, I was addressing whoever made up this ten-thousandth iteration of an ancient moral question and thought "Damn, I'm good." I read in your post that you were merely presenting it, didn't write it.

I read posts.

I would also like to point out there are only three stories ever told in the history of humankind: Man against himself, man against man and man against the environment. Everything is ultimately a variation of those three and true creativity would be the creation of a fourth.
Au contraire, mon frere. There's also Twilight Sparkle discovers the magic of friendship, Fluttershy overcomes her fears, and Rainbow Dash goes to the Wonderbolts Academy.

Oh, and some stuff some English guy wrote. Shake-something-or-other.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
547
113
Vernon, B.C.
While I appreciate your proper Canadian spelling of "realise", you've mistaken a classic philosophical question as both based partly on the premise a movie and that I am it's origin.

I would also like to point out there are only three stories ever told in the history of humankind: Man against himself, man against man and man against the environment. Everything is ultimately a variation of those three and true creativity would be the creation of a fourth.


You're getting too "deep" for me. I speak English.:)
 

Praxius

Mass'Debater
Dec 18, 2007
10,609
99
48
Halifax, NS & Melbourne, VIC
While I appreciate your proper Canadian spelling of "realise", you've mistaken a classic philosophical question as both based partly on the premise a movie and that I am it's origin.

I would also like to point out there are only three stories ever told in the history of humankind: Man against himself, man against man and man against the environment. Everything is ultimately a variation of those three and true creativity would be the creation of a fourth.

There are also stories told where humans are not against anything.... Or "Man" if you will.

Star Trek also has many stories where it's "Man Against Alien."

Horton Hears a Who isn't against anything and isn't even about humans.

The Littlest Hobo was about a Dog.

Astroboy wasn't even human but a machine.

GI JOE against Cobra.... Was Cobra Commander even human?

Optimus Prime against Megatron/Galvatron.... Again Machines.

Steve Urkel.... Need I say more?
 

Twila

Nanah Potato
Mar 26, 2003
14,698
73
48
Would I have any hope of ending my sons suffering sooner by having a hand in it? I would do it.

Although I have no idea what my mental state would be like if I'd been in a concentration camp. There is nothing in my history to compare it to.
 

IdRatherBeSkiing

Satelitte Radio Addict
May 28, 2007
14,591
2,335
113
Toronto, ON
"You are an inmate in a concentration camp. A sadistic guard is about to hang your son who tried to escape and wants you to pull the chair from underneath him. He says that if you don’t he will not only kill your son but some other innocent inmate as well. You don’t have any doubt that he means what he says. What should you do?" (Question stolen from the internet).
If I am free enough to pull a chair, I would attack the guard. But I would not pull the chair.
 

WLDB

Senate Member
Jun 24, 2011
6,182
0
36
Ottawa
Didnt this situation actually happen to someone in the camps? I remember reading a scenario just like this or similar. Given how sadistic a lot of the guards and others working at the camps were it probably happened to quite a few people.

I doubt anyone could truly answer this question with certainty unless they've been there. I just can't imagine how I'd feel in a situation like that or what I'd do. I'd like to think I'd attack the guard but don't know.