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by ParetoOptimal 1444 days ago
> If you are morally responsible for the child's death, you are morally responsible for basically every evil in the world right now

No, you are morally responsible for every evil happening right in front of you that you could immediately change with little risk to yourself.

For instance if you can't swim and the child is in the middle of the pond, I'd argue you aren't responsible because the risk is too great to yourself.

In fact due to the danger of drowning people pulling you under, I'd argue unless the child is in water shallow enough for you to stand in it's not your moral responsibility to save them.

Though in the situation, I'd probably feel compelled to save them anyway.
2 comments
stavros 1444 days ago
> No, you are morally responsible for every evil happening right in front of you that you could immediately change with little risk to yourself.

The problem with this is that you snuck a quantitative difference there and made it sound qualitative. How much risk is "little risk"? What if you could spend all your money and save N people from starvation? There's no risk to you, so are you responsible for their deaths if you don't do it?

What if the child is a bit less likely to pull you under? What if even less than that? Where do you draw the line?

You're never completely free of responsibility, there are just varying degrees.

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thegrimmest 1444 days ago
Why does your presence/proximity carry moral responsibility? Is it not possible to be a passive observer of evil?

Heroism (jumping in the pond and saving the child) doesn't imply moral responsibility for the situation.

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ParetoOptimal 1443 days ago
> Is it not possible to be a passive observer of evil?

Assuming the full question is:

> Is it not possible to be a passive observer of evil without being responsible to some degree?

No, with the caveats of being mentally and physically able to do something about it of course.

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thegrimmest 1443 days ago
Why not? Why does your presence imply your responsibility? In the given trolly problem, we can infer how events would unfold in your absence. Why does your presence imply they should unfold any differently? Shouldn't responsibility be voluntarily accepted, rather than imposed by default?

How can you impose a duty to fight evil when "evil" itself has no workable concrete definition?

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