Morals and ethics

[GerritT]

There's been some ethical and moral banter elsewehere in the Snug. And I thought: how about we did some testing? How ARE our morals actually?

http://moralmachine.mit.edu/

 

[Dexter101]

Thats a brilliant find. Even if you think about it as you driving, what would your decisions be...

 

[Thumper]

I dont understand why "brake" isn't an option.

 

[marshbrewer]

I don't understand why the car is constantly driving on the wrong side of the road. No wonder people are in peril. :whistle:

 

[Duxuk]

Don't think the results bare any resemblance to my thoughts. I never considered the age or social status of the pedestrians but apparently I'm a child hating snob!

 

[Thumper]

My problem with this test is the same as my main issue with the other thread: it oversimplifies complex problems. In reality, you are never going to be faced with a simple binary choice of either driving a car full of people into a barrier or into a group of pedestrians.

 

[Gunge]

I once rode a motorbike into a railway ravine to avoid a guy walking his mutt (it was dark and they appeared as if from nowhere). That's how nice I am. Bloody dog guy didn't even peer over the edge to see if I was dead or summat.

 

[dad_of_jon]

My problem with this test is the same as my main issue with the other thread: it oversimplifies complex problems. In reality, you are never going to be faced with a simple binary choice of either driving a car full of people into a barrier or into a group of pedestrians.

my view is in the unlikely event of brake failure dont start swerving to save some but kill others you at least know the car is going to plough head on. as for the car being able to determine if the person is of a 'higher social status' best of luck with that... do I run over the policeman or doctor. ??? law suits by survivors of the relatives that the car killed will ensure this situation is reduced to near zero. tesla or nissan leaf? hmm how many people die by each vehicle? its a bit like crash testing results.

 

[simon12]

Without noticing I totally prioritised saving men, fit people and those with lower social value.

 

[Dexter101]

I think every choice I made (possible with the exception of running over the cat...) was to avoid hitting the pedestrians regardless of standard or who was in the car. Obviously it was posed as a driverless car situation but if it was me driving, I would be putting my trust in the cars safety features to protect me and my passengers and avoiding hitting pedestrians who don't have any protection.

In reality, there would always be more than 2 choices but even last night I was posed with a similar (less severe!) dilemma where on a narrow road a van was coming the other direction and the (idiot) owner of the property had placed large logs along the edge of his property. To confirm this was the bit of grass on the other side of his fence... I obviously slowed down but decided to try and squeeze past the van rather than risk damaging my car on one of the logs. Luckily the van driver was sensible and had pulled wide onto the verge his side but some drivers wouldn't have been so considerate

 

[jceg316]

My worry is that they'll take that data and use it for programming future driverless cars :S.

"Well some guys on a homebrew forum would like to plough through a load of cats, dogs and homeless men crossing the road so we now have an ethical responsibility to do so."

Do you reckon a bunch of cats and dogs were hanging out one day, then decided to go to the cinema or something so they all hopped in the driverless car?

 

[Ciaran12s]

Does anyone ever feel bad when cleaning bottles? Rinsing out all that yeast and dumping it down the drain, ensuring ever last cell has been obliterated from the bottle after all the work its just done for you?

 

[Linalmeemow]

Does anyone ever feel bad when cleaning bottles? Rinsing out all that yeast and dumping it down the drain, ensuring ever last cell has been obliterated from the bottle after all the work its just done for you?

Nope, no worse than when I threw that sackful of kittens into the canal.

 

[dad_of_jon]

Does anyone ever feel bad when cleaning bottles? Rinsing out all that yeast and dumping it down the drain, ensuring ever last cell has been obliterated from the bottle after all the work its just done for you?

I did, but then I thought I looked after you well during your short life and kept you in top quality wort. but now it's time to die :twisted:

 

[druid]

My problem with this test is the same as my main issue with the other thread: it oversimplifies complex problems. In reality, you are never going to be faced with a simple binary choice of either driving a car full of people into a barrier or into a group of pedestrians.

What you said is true...but in reality you may well be faced with an absolutely binary choice (as I was)...do you OK a risky and potentially life threatening procedure that may extend the life of a person for a short period, but will not enhance there life in any way, or change the inevitable outcome (death) ...or just allow to happen, that which is going to happen in any event. Just because the medical system has the ability to do something, doesnt mean they should....

 

[Gunge]

Nope, no worse than when I threw that sackful of kittens into the canal.

If it absolutely, totally came down to the wire, I'd sooner run people over than animals; I only swerved to avoid the guy with the dog and ride into the ravine cos of the mutt.

 

[Thumper]

Nope, no worse than when I threw that sackful of kittens into the canal.

Particularly ironic given your screen name.

 

[Thumper]

What you said is true...but in reality you may well be faced with an absolutely binary choice (as I was)...do you OK a risky and potentially life threatening procedure that may extend the life of a person for a short period, but will not enhance there life in any way, or change the inevitable outcome (death) ...or just allow to happen, that which is going to happen in any event. Just because the medical system has the ability to do something, doesnt mean they should....

I don't know what your situation was, but I'd hit a barrier rather than a person.

 

[Gunge]

Does anyone ever feel bad when cleaning bottles? Rinsing out all that yeast and dumping it down the drain, ensuring ever last cell has been obliterated from the bottle after all the work its just done for you?

Actually, yes.

 

[Linalmeemow]

Particularly ironic given your screen name.

Screen name has nothing to do with cats, it comes from an inept identity thief.

For the record I love cats and have never killed any for fun.