Moral dilemma

[Slow Love™]

Thought these might be interesting to do occasionally...

This one's from the novel (and movie), Sophie's Choice:

You are a Polish immigrant, arrested by the Nazis, and sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp. As a sadistic "reward" for not being a Jew, you are offered a choice. Of your two children, one will be spared the gas chamber if you choose which one.

With the presumption that the Nazis will fulfill their part of the deal and the child you choose will be spared and granted safety, what do you do? Do you choose one,and save one of your children, or do you refuse to make a choice and deliver both to death?

[BoyBrumby]

We're assuming neither of the children is a ginge, are we? Otherwise it's a bit of a no-brainer.....

Seriously tho, how does one make a decision like that? Although, of course, if one doesn't it's lose-lose.

[Agent TBY]

I'd say it's better to just let them go, instead of putting one through the guilt that he/she lived because the other died.

Also, without shelter and parentage, what's the guarantee the one who has been spared will survive in a war environment, and even if he/she does survive, what would he/she live on?

[luckyeddie]

It's a question I have decided doesn't have an answer unless you are actually placed in that terrible situation.

Mind you, if they're both ginger.......

Perhaps they'll let you have one of the guard dogs instead.

(I am really terribly sorry and ashamed about that last statement).

[FaaipDeOiad]

I think you would have to choose one or the other. I think allowing them both to die to assuage yourself of guilt (or the survivor for that matter) is the easy way out, if it could possibly be considered such a thing. If you genuinely have the opportunity to save the life of one of your children, you should do it.

[Beleg]

Put both children to death and than commit suicide.

[BoyBrumby]

Put both children to death and than commit suicide.

Of course! When you say it like that it's so obvious!

Surely that's pretty much cutting off your nose to spite your face?

[luckyeddie]

Of course! When you say it like that it's so obvious!

Surely that's pretty much cutting off your nose to spite your face?

Can you commit suicide by cutting off your nose?

Is that what the astronomer Tycho Brahe tried to do?

[Beleg]

Surely that's pretty much cutting off your nose to spite your face?

72 virgins dude, 72 virgins. You gotta dig afterlife to get that.

[BoyBrumby]

Can you commit suicide by cutting off your nose?

Is that what the astronomer Tycho Brahe tried to do?

Not an absolutely classical self-immolation technique, no. But with these wacky kids nowadays......

[Samuel_Vimes]

I'd toss a coin.

Sounds cruel, I know, but if you ever get haunted by the thought that you killed one, there's always the thought that you saved the living one...

[Anil]

i have no idea what i would do in such a situation....it will probably be a spur of the moment decision whatever it is...

[Pratters]

The more you think the more indecisive you will get on this. And its better to save one child so that that person gets to live.

Make a quick decision, choose either one, the one who has likely seen less of the world so the younger child I think and quickly tell the nazis before they change their minds.

[vic_orthdox]

Definently save one of them. Impossible to say which one when they have been described so ambiguously (sp) though

[Top_Cat]

Insisted that myself and two children were executed. It's an impossible choice to make and if you did, you'd probably wish you were dead anyway.