[Avodah] Murder a Chok or Logically Compelling also KaVuA, OBriens Meat

[Micha Berger]

On Sun, Aug 25, 2024 at 03:00:40PM +1000, Rabbi Meir G. Rabi via Avodah wrote:
> Your illustration Micha,
> A surgeon who can save 5 people
> by randomly selecting and killing an uninvolved person
> 
> is not at all similar to those stranded in the boat
...

But I didn't say they were similar.

I said that your question presumes Consequentialism, ie that the most
ethical choice is the one with the best outcome for the most people.
And then I gave the textbook argument against Consequentialism and in
favor of Deontology. (Which is the idea that the ethical choice is the one
that follows some set of rules.) Then I suggested that the Torah takes
a third route, or maybe a particular subflavor of Deontology, called
Virtue Ethics. Ie that our primary concern is Middos Tovos ("virtues').

I also gave reasons why hashkadah would be inconsistent with
Consequentialism: (1) If life has infinite value, you cannot compare
the magnitude of two possible outcomes -- they're both infinite. (2)
If people can only act, but success and outcomes are in HQBH's hands,
then we should certainly be forcussed on acting correctly rather than
the best outcome.

Without assuming Consequentialism, the fact that the person you turn in
would have died anyway doesn't matter that much. The question is what
actions are you taking and what is the Torah's code of behavior. Whether
in your case about starving people on a boat or the gemara's case where
everyone was threatened with death unless they turned in Sheva ben Bikhri,
which was only permitted because of details specific to that case.

Chodesh Tov!
Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 People were created to be loved.
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   Things were created to be used.
Author: Widen Your Tent      The reason why the world is in chaos is that
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF    things are being loved, people are being used.