Question

For this question answer by:

1: What you would do in this situation.

2: Why you would make that choice.

3: Which of Kohlberg's levels of moral reasoning your choice represents?

A madman who has threatened to explode several bombs in crowded areas has been apprehended. Unfortunately, he has already planted the bombs and they are scheduled to go off in a short time. It is possible that hundreds of people may die. The authorities cannot make him divulge the location of the bombs by conventional methods. He refuses to say anything and requests a lawyer to protect his fifth amendment right against self-incrimination. In exasperation, some high level official suggests torture. This would be illegal, but the official is sure that it will make him tell the truth in time for you to find and defuse the bombs.

What should you do?

What if you know that the bomber can withstand torture himself, but is sympathetic toward disabled children and would talk if you were to torture an innocent disabled child?

Answer 1

1: What you would do in this situation.

I would definitely go with the torture because it’s not about whether it is legal or illegal but it’s about preventing the bomb from exploding.

2: Why you would make that choice.

I would make this choice because it involves lots of lives of people living in that area and the financial and psychological losses that the people would undergo, if the bomb explodes. So saving many people will be my priority in place of torturing one person who is selfish.

3: Which of Kohlberg's levels of moral reasoning your choice represents?

I reason as a teen which falls in the 5^th stage of Social Contract. Moral rights and legal rights are different. In this scenario, I look at the moral responsibility of saving all those people rather than worrying about the legal obligation of the bomber.

What if you know that the bomber can withstand torture himself, but is sympathetic toward disabled children and would talk if you were to torture an innocent disabled child?

I wouldn’t do that because torturing an innocent disabled child is unethical because the child has got no connection with this. I would try to get it from the bomber himself.