Question

10 miners are trapped in one of two shafts (shaft 1 or shaft 2), and floodwaters are rising. You must decide which shaft to block before finding out where the miners are. They are no more likely, given your evidence, to be in 1 or 2. You are able to block the water from reaching one of the shafts, but you don't have enough sandbags to block both. If you manage to completely block the shaft where the miners are, they are all saved; if you block the other shaft completely, they all drown. If you do nothing, letting both of the shafts fill halfway with water, one miner will drown in any case.

What is your decision? Evaluate your decision using at least three ethical theories.

Answer 1

Utilitarian ethics suggests that an act would be considered ethical if it maximizes benefit to maximum number of people and reduce any harm. Thus, I would let both the shaft to be filled thus, only one out of the ten might drown and maximum number of miners would be saved because the consequence of the action is more important according to utilitarian. Duty ethics suggests that one should fulfil one’s duty without worrying about the consequences. Thus, I would block anyone shaft because my job is to close the shafts without worrying about what happens because it cares about fulfilling the duty and not the consequences. Finally, virtue ethics which revolves around the character of the person suggests that virtuous people would always do good. Thus, I would close the shaft where all the ten miners are in order to save them all.

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