Hypothetical ethical question. | | Here is the scenario. There is an old woman who has been through a very rough life. She is going to die if she does not get a heart transplant as her heart is in exceptionally bad condition. No one knows exactly when--maybe in a day--maybe a week--maybe two months. Her heart is the only thing wrong with her and, presumably, if she gets the transplant, she can live another 10 or 20 years or more. Now, neither you nor anyone you know has the money needed for the transplant and the doctors will not do it not matter how much you beg and plead them. You have asked others for money for this cause but no one has given you anything. Suddenly, someone offers you an amazing deal (and presume they would pay up). You will win a million dollars to be paid instantly but the catch is that, in order to win, you must make this same old woman cry as hard as she can. She has a weak heart, so if you make her cry it could kill her. Then again she will probably die within the week if she does not get the transplant.
Do you:
A: Make her cry, win the money, then use it to pay for the needed transplant (if she doesn't die in the meantime/while crying/etc)
or
B: Leave her be even though she is in constant agony anyway and don't try to help
Note: She has told you that she desperately wants the transplant and wishes to live as long as she can.
Note2: In order to win the prize money you can NOT tell her in any way that you are making her cry to help her/etc--and must genuinely upset her to no extent in the meanest ways possible.
What do you do? |