light-hidden space

12.

Xin Yue cleared his throat and began to read aloud.

After counting the results of these options, the order of votes for those selected to board the boat is as follows:

Navigator: 10 votes

Yourself: 10 votes

Doctor: 9 votes

Captain: 8 votes

ji girl: 8 votes

Young model worker: 8 votes

Mentally handicapped boy: 7 votes

Terminally ill little girl: 7 votes

Newly erupted self-employed: 7 votes

Catholic priest: 4 votes

Corporate Manager: 4 votes

Corrupt cadres: 1 vote

. . . . . .

"What? How did this happen?" Xin Yue put down the book, and she couldn't help but want to comment.

"How do you choose?" Jiang Yinqi continued without waiting for Xin Yue to speak, "Let me guess your choice, old doctor, little girl, little boy, prostitute, priest, and yourself."

Xin Yue thought for a while, "It's about the same. Maybe he will hesitate between me and the captain."

Jiang Yinqi showed the book cover to Xin Yue, "This book is called "What is Ethics?" According to your choice, the title should be changed to "What is Morality?". This kind of dilemma faced by human beings, if Judging by purely moral standards will become very simple. You still need to read on to understand the complexity of this issue."

So Xin Yue continued to read aloud, eager to ask for help. Although it was just a paper, it was still very meaningful.How can we be rational beings if we can't talk on paper?

[-]. Survival principle

It should be seen that we are talking about lifesaving here.Therefore, after all the principles of choice, there is actually a more fundamental principle: the principle of preserving and respecting life. According to this principle, everyone's life should be respected. All lives should be saved. Respecting and preserving life is an obligatory order and the first principle of morality.The question is, which people should we save when we can only save half of them?We have to face a painful choice, we must sacrifice the lives of some people and let others have the possibility of survival.This is the conflict of obligations.We don't consider the situation that, for example, because of certain religious beliefs or family affection, everyone chooses to die together rather than survive some people, but as long as one person can be rescued, one person must be rescued.

[-]. The principle of survival possibility

To survive, we must also consider the possibility of survival, first of all, the possibility of surviving the upcoming sea drift. .This is probably the main reason why "Re-education Prisoner Proficient in Navigation" seems to get the vote unexpectedly, simply because he is "proficient in navigation".Some people also consider choosing the captain for the same reason, but according to the general judgment, the captain may be more willing, and even has a certain responsibility, to leave the ship he is driving, and even "die together" with it.And drifting at sea seems to have to choose a person who knows how to sail.Likewise, physicians generally received higher votes for this reason.Some students choose young workers out of this consideration. Doctors' medical skills and young workers' physical strength are needed for drifting at sea.We should note here that this principle is not so much a teleological principle as it is still a deontological principle, because it is attached to the survival principle.

3. The principle of self priority

Here, "self" is clear and unclear.

Here, the chooser may bring in his present self.The choice of "myself" may be due to some specific circumstances: or I think I will play a greater role on the boat, or I think that I will make a greater contribution to society in the long-term future after being rescued.Or it is based on the general principle of self-interest, as some speakers said: "It goes without saying that everyone must first save himself."

But there is at least one difficulty in oneself as a selector.If you don't choose, maybe you secretly or subconsciously hope that you will be chosen, even in the case of self-sacrifice, so that your renunciation has more persuasive, demonstrative or willing sacrifice weight .But the problem is that you have been pushed into a position of choice, and you have assumed a responsibility. If you choose yourself, where will you put yourself?Such a choice will make oneself bear a hidden burden of interpretation, and must accept the same choice of others-there may be the same choice in the later process.Moreover, it is questionable whether egoism can become a general principle of choice.But because there is actually a buffer here, because you can choose [-] people besides yourself, so you can also apply other principles.If you can only choose one person, then the conflict between yourself and others will be very sharp.

[-]. The principle of giving priority to women and children

Although the three people belonging to "women and children" in this example were all designed with negative factors: "terminal illness", "mentally handicapped" and "ji girl", they still received a high number of votes, which shows that without these negative factors, they would have won votes Higher or probably not in doubt.

This principle is also the principle adopted by many shipwrecks such as the Titanic.This principle is obviously a principle of deontology rather than a principle of consequence theory, that is, the main consideration is not the effect but the obligation, because not only will these few people not play a big role in escaping at sea, but they will probably not play a big role in the long-term future. will not contribute much, and the "terminal girl" may die soon.

Is this a principle of giving priority to the weak?Why does the weak life show a kind of strength here instead?Why special protection of children and women?Why is the life of the weak, especially children, more worthy of attention?This is just because they are small, can they live longer?The girl’s life will not be long, but why can’t we bear the heart that a child is artificially abandoned before he naturally loses his life?Can't bear to see their despair or hear their crying?Can't even bear the abandonment of that ignorant "mentally handicapped boy" who may not be too uncomfortable for this?

Is there a fundamental compassion and sympathy that is at work here besides empathizing with others?In addition, whether it also involves the issue of human qualifications, and whether there is a sacred constraint or deterrence: a person who abandons a child in this way will also be abandoned by God or both God and man.In addition, the chooser may also have considered the meaning of the principle. As a principle, it does not consider the specific situation. In general, the principle of giving priority to women and children does not mean that it always encounters such special situations with negative factors. Most of the time this is just not the case, so it is more important than consideration of the specific situation to firmly maintain general principles, which cannot be easily violated.

[-]. The principle of utility or pleasure

That is to save the happiness and joy that those people's contribution to the future society will bring to the society.

Many people who choose themselves believe that they can make greater contributions to society in the future, thereby creating greater happiness for mankind.Most of the votes for "corporate managers" are also due to the reason of "contribution".

In addition, this principle can also have a negative expression: the principle of less loss or less pain.A few classmates excluded the Catholic priest because of this, thinking that he would not feel too painful for death, and the reason for voting for him to board the boat was that he could comfort others spiritually, which is especially important when drifting at sea. .

[-]. The principle of average utility or fair happiness (or compensation principle)

For example, some students advocated letting newly emerging self-employed and young people be elected, while letting managers, corrupt state officials, and old doctors lose the election.

The reason is that everyone wants to "take a turn to enjoy the blessing."So let those who have enjoyed it before retire, and those who haven't enjoyed it try to survive.

This is a relatively narrow understanding of "utilitarian", that is, it is mainly understood as "happiness".

[-]. The principle of virtue

That is to choose according to the quality of these people, "rescue the good people first". "Corrupt state cadre" probably won the vote for this reason, and he also has no obvious skills. If he has a talent for management and command, it must be offset by his quality.But doing so may damage or even insult the virtue of a good person.For example, if a young worker is chosen as a reward not because of the work he will undertake according to the principle of survival possibility or utility, but because of his past moral qualities, it will not be very good for his moral perfection ( We note here: the same person can be chosen for different principles).

Later, the classmates asked the teacher's own choice. The teacher said that in this situation, mixed principles may have to be adopted instead of single principles, but in these mixed principles, the order in which they are satisfied is determined.

He thought that he would first adopt the principle of giving priority to women and children, and then the principle of possibility of survival. Otherwise, the premise of the principle of survival is likely to fail, that is, after three women and children, he would then choose labor camp prisoners, young workers and doctors— —Of course, even if it is based on the same principle of the possibility of survival, it is up to everyone to choose which three people to choose. The captain is naturally proficient in sailing, and he must obey it logically. However, even if he obeys, there may be a hidden pain in his heart. , Public opinion in the future may also be against him.So I chose a prisoner of labor reform. It is very important that he can contribute his experience and knowledge of sailing.Young workers can contribute their strength and experience, and if the reform-through-labour prisoners do something bad, the combination of the morality and strength of the young model workers can also form a constraint on the reform-through-labor prisoners, and then doctors can contribute medical skills and wisdom.

In addition, there should be an authority on this ship, that is the doctor.

This is an example of "survival choice", you can also think about how you would choose

Xin Yue closed the book, feeling a sense of relief. "My choice is moral, but irrational. According to my choice, they will not survive at all. It is a meaningless choice."

Jiang Yinqi nodded, "Humans are noble. Humans are the only creatures that are aware of death, but at the same time can overcome this fear and face death in a rational way. This requires great courage. It even includes choosing yourself. Choosing yourself It takes courage to live, to choose to sacrifice oneself.”

Xin Yue grabbed the book and once again broke his determination to "never touch Jiang Yinqi's book again", "Lend me this book, okay?"

"Yes. However, you can continue to read aloud. You read really well. The voice is very nice." Jiang Yinqi handed Xin Yue a cleaned fig as a reward, "Come on, Runrun voice."