Death

If doctors could read your genetic code and tell you with a fair degree of certainty when and how you would die, would you want to know? Explain your reasons.

Happiness

If we could spray a happiness spray in the air and make people happy, should we do it?

Alternatively, if there was an anti-grief pill, would you take it? (If you were to discover the loss of a loved one, would it be ethical to rush to the medicine cabinet and pop an anti-grief pill?)

Where do anti-depressants come into this discussion? Millions of people take them, need them, and cannot survive without them.

Moral Dilemma 9

If you had access to a magical love potion that could make a person fall  in love with you, would you use it? Explain your reasons.

How Rich is too Rich?

Is there something wrong with the wealth distribution in our world? Is it obscene that we have multi-billionaires when thousands die of starvation every day?

In his blog, Sam Harris says, "Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, the two richest men in the United States, each have around $50 billion. Let’s put this number in perspective: They each have a thousand times the amount of money you would have if you were a movie star who had managed to save $50 million over the course of a very successful career. Think of every actor you can name or even dimly recognize, including the rare few who have banked hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years, and run this highlight reel back half a century. Gates and Buffet each have more personal wealth than all of these glamorous men and women—from Bogart and Bacall to Pitt and Jolie—combined.

"In fact, there are people who rank far below Gates and Buffet in net worth, who still make several million dollars a day, every day of the year, and have throughout the current recession."

Click here to continue reading: How Rich is too Rich?

So the question is:

"How much wealth should one person be allowed to keep? A trillion dollars? Ten trillion? (Fifty trillion is the current GDP of Earth.)"

Moral Dilemma 7

If you had to choose between the last two tigers on the planet and a human which would you chose and why?

Moral Dilemma

If we could programme humans to be good (either through genetic engineering or by somehow programming the brain) should we do it? Will the transformed person be exercising free will? Would we want a society where everyone is genetically engineered or mentally programmed to be good? Give reasons for your response. 

Moral Dilemma 5

Imagine you had a box with a button on it that, when pressed, would cause terrible pain to someone somewhere.

Would you:

a) Press it if no one in the world would know it was you?

b) Press it if you were offered $1,000,000?

c) Press it if at the same time the person experienced excruciating pain, someone else experienced tremendous happiness?

Moral Dilemma 4

The Overcrowded Lifeboat

In 1842, a ship struck an iceberg and more than 30 survivors were crowded into a lifeboat intended to hold 7. As a storm threatened, it became obvious that the lifeboat would have to be lightened if anyone were to survive. The captain reasoned that the right thing to do in this situation was to force some individuals to go over the side and drown. Such an action, he reasoned, was not unjust to those thrown overboard, for they would have drowned anyway. If he did nothing, however, he would be responsible for the deaths of those whom he could have saved. Some people opposed the captain's decision. They claimed that if nothing were done and everyone died as a result, no one would be responsible for these deaths. On the other hand, if the captain attempted to save some, he could do so only by killing others and their deaths would be his responsibility; this would be worse than doing nothing and letting all die. The captain rejected this reasoning. Since the only possibility for rescue required great efforts of rowing, the captain decided that the weakest would have to be sacrificed. In this situation it would be absurd, he thought, to decide by drawing lots who should be thrown overboard. As it turned out, after days of hard rowing, the survivors were rescued and the captain was tried for his action. If you had been on the jury, how would you have decided?

Moral Dilemma - 3

Is downloading music and film torrents a form of piracy? Is it the same as stealing - considering the artist doesn't receive any payment for his creativity?

Would you like to be sued for $4.5 million for illegally downloading or sharing music on the Internet?

Click here to read the story: The Guardian

Moral Dilemma - 2

If you knew someone in your school who pulled the fire alarm as a prank should you tell the school authorities?

Moral Dilemmas

Moral Dilemma - 1

Steve has the responsibility of filling a position in his firm. His friend Paul has applied and is qualified, but someone else seems even more qualified. Steve wants to give the job to Paul, but he feels guilty, believing that he ought to be impartial. That's the essence of morality, he initially tells himself. This belief is, however, rejected, as Steve resolves that friendship has a moral importance that permits, and perhaps even requires, partiality in some circumstances. So he gives the job to Paul. Was he right?