Suppose one day a Demon pops up in front of you. He randomly chooses fifteen people and threatens to obliterate them with a single word, unless you agree to sacrifice 2 hours of your time everyday for 40 years devoted to counting sand.
Assuming that:
1. You do not take any pleasure whatsoever in counting sand (and most definitely none whatsoever in counting sand 2 hours everyday for the rest of your life);
2. You know (for sure) that the Demon will keep his word--he will not obliterate the people if you agree to sacrifice 2 hours of your time everyday for 40years. If at any point of time you break that agreement, he would obliterate the 15 chosen people immediately.
3. The 15 people will live for another 80 years yet if not obliterated by the Demon.
Would you do it? That is, do you think that the value of 15 human lives is great enough to warrant you giving up 2 hours of your life everyday for 40 years?
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Clement's Demon
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
If the demon had picked the right person ( just one person you really care for), I think that should be sufficient to place the threat.
Well, assuming that he didn't pick anyone you know. heh
I thought about it for a day, and I haven't changed my mind much. Prbly one person is sufficient.
For 40 years leh, for strangers! You sure? haha. I'm not sure myself, but I probably would respond the same way. =)
:) i'm not the only one then. If not, the guilt will prbly stay longer than 40 yrs. :S Can share why you wrote this?
This is sort of what philosophers do: think up scenarios to test our intuitions. lol
Post a Comment