Is it a moral imperative to hit someone with my car

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brainbomb
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Is it a moral imperative to hit someone with my car

#1 Post by brainbomb » Mon May 29, 2023 11:04 pm

If I see a person about to be hit by a car going a ludicrous speed, am I morally obligated to hit that person with my car at a survivable speed and allow the speeding car to hit my vehicle instead of the jaywalker

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Jamiet99uk
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Re: Is it a moral imperative to hit someone with my car

#2 Post by Jamiet99uk » Mon May 29, 2023 11:21 pm

What is the matter with you?

Do you just want some attention?
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Re: Is it a moral imperative to hit someone with my car

#3 Post by Fluminator » Tue May 30, 2023 3:30 pm

This is trolley problem.
And the answer is yes

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Re: Is it a moral imperative to hit someone with my car

#4 Post by Jamiet99uk » Tue May 30, 2023 4:01 pm

Fluminator wrote:
Tue May 30, 2023 3:30 pm
This is trolley problem.
And the answer is yes
It's a little more complicated than the trolley problem.

That involves pulling a lever.

In this case we also have to weigh up Brainbomb's driving skills. Does he have the skill as a driver to cause a non-fatal collision, or would his desperate swerving across the highway cause a multiple-vehicle pile-up resulting in dozens of casualties?
There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen. - Lenin.

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Re: Is it a moral imperative to hit someone with my car

#5 Post by Jamiet99uk » Tue May 30, 2023 6:00 pm

Also Brainbomb's use of the term "jaywalker" introduces the implication that the pedestrian is walking on the highway unlawfully.

It's possible that by causing a collision, Braimbomb could divert the speeding car into some nearby plants. But what if those plants are actually involved in consensual sexual relations with Brainbomb and some of his friends?

The speeding car may also be driven by an AI such as Google Drive, so we also need to ask whether a regulation-flouting jaywalker has more or fewer rights than an AI.

It's a thorny topic for sure.
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Re: Is it a moral imperative to hit someone with my car

#6 Post by brainbomb » Tue May 30, 2023 6:24 pm

Even if a jaywalker is breaking a law the onus is on the driver and the driver would be held responsible because in all scenarios a pedestrian is afford the right of way. there are likely mitigating factors such as the jaywalkers speed, blood alcohol being high, or drugs in their system. generally the driver of the car is liable

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Re: Is it a moral imperative to hit someone with my car

#7 Post by brainbomb » Tue May 30, 2023 6:26 pm

a real life example of this occurred when an intoxicated nfl player got out of his car and tried to walk onto a busy freeway with a gas can and was hit and killed. some places have laws in place where a driver is not liable especially in a place where a pedestrian should not be

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Re: Is it a moral imperative to hit someone with my car

#8 Post by Jamiet99uk » Tue May 30, 2023 6:35 pm

Then why did you ask?
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Re: Is it a moral imperative to hit someone with my car

#9 Post by Octavious » Tue May 30, 2023 6:37 pm

So... if I understand the scenario correctly... brainbomb ran someone over in a display of hideous driving ineptitude, and is currently trying to find an elaborate excuse that gets him off the hook?

Say a bee flu up your nose and made you sneeze. Works every time... unless the person you hit was important
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Re: Is it a moral imperative to hit Brainbomb with my car?

#10 Post by Jamiet99uk » Wed May 31, 2023 6:01 pm

If I see Brainbomb heading towards a computer at ludicrous speed, am I morally obligated to hit him with my car at a survivable speed and prevent him spamming the webDiplomacy forum with silly junior philosophy thought experiments?
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There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen. - Lenin.

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