tronvillain

A hypothetical moral question: What is the minimum amount of money you would have to be paid to kill (assuming you will not be caught unless you tell someone) a random stranger of your own age, gender, and ethnic background?

Obviously it is difficult to know how you would feel in the actual situation, but personally, I think one hundred thousand dollars would be sufficient (perhaps slightly less).

Now, is there anyone here who wouldn't do it for any amount of money? I find that attitude strange myself, since with enough money you could save countless lives, but then I often think the ends justify the means.

Veil of Fire

Hmmmmmm....

50 grand should cover it. Of course, that assumes I can't possibly get caught... including through tracing the income and/or pegging me for tax evasion.

Arrowman

Ewwww.... Honesty time again. I'd want several million - enough to set me up in comfort for life. If I'm going to have to deal with the knowledge of what I did for the rest of my life, I don't want to be dealing with money and work worries as well.

David Gould

Wouldn't do it.

I do not think the end justifies the means.

As an example, I would not sacrifice a child to a god to end a devastating famine or similar (assuming the god existed and had the power to end the famine).

Contradictorarily, I do not object to using foetuses for stem cell research. This however, is becasue I do not consider them as being human beings.

One of the last sane

Fetuses are not used for stem cell research. Embryos are used for stem cell research.

rebelnerd

I don't think I could do it for money, in self-defense yes, in a time of war yes, for survival yes. I have always found these types of situational morality questions interesting. I think if one were in the acutal situation, it would engender somewhat different thoughts.

Filo

David Gould

I did not realise there was a difference, but I am not too hot on biology. The dictionary definition seems to indicate that the terms are interchangable to some degree at least, although embryo is usually the early stage of development and foetus the latter. Is this correct?

The AntiChris

tronvillain

I wouldn't do it for any amount of personal moenetary gain.

I've got too vivid an imagination - I'd be be concerned about the victim's friends and family, and I'd be terrified of being caught. Also, wherever possible, I prefer to associate with people that I can trust and rely on. Anyone who openly admitted that they would be prepared to do such a deed would not be someone I'd wish to associate with.

However, you go on to say:

Now if you're saying that the only way to release resources that would be used to save "countless lives" is to commit a single murder, then I'm not sure. I'd have to be pretty certain that there was no other way to save those lives.

Chris

MadMordigan

What is the minimum amount of money you would have to be paid to kill... a random stranger of your own age, gender, and ethnic background?

Depends how many useless drivers I got stuck behind on the way to work that morning. Some days I might do it for $2M other days, I might pay someone $1000 for the chance.

Friar Bellows

I'd do it for whatever amount of money it takes to eliminate starvation and malnutrition, provide health care and safe drinking water, retire the debt of developing nations, stabilize the population, solve various environmental problems, and eliminate nuclear weapons on this planet.

Then I would turn myself in.