From Paul Mealing
Dan Jones’s article omits two important aspects of the moral equation, which arguably are the cause of the worst of the immoral acts we witness worldwide (26 November, p 34).
One is the identification with a group which treats outsiders as less deserving than those within the group, and the other is conformity, which is arguably the most fundamental of all human behaviours. The combination of these two social traits has led to the worst of human atrocities witnessed in the last century, if not through our entire history.
From Gwydion Williams
Am I the only person to notice that if you actually followed the “moral” advice in the problem – pitching an innocent man to certain death so as to save five other lives – you would be guilty of murder under English law and under pretty well any system of law, I would assume.
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You can’t have a human society unless people are strongly inhibited from killing each other, regardless of circumstances.
Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK
Ivanhoe, Victoria, Australia
