Ethics Assignment 1

The document discusses the ethical considerations around who should board a lifeboat during a ship sinking scenario where there are 10 people but only 6 spaces on the lifeboat. Various students provide arguments for who they think should board based on factors like ability to contribute to society, dependence of others, vulnerability, and duty as the ship's captain.

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Ethics Assignment 1

Uploaded by

Dr. Ehsan ul Hassan

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Professional Ethics

Assignment 1

Maaz Khaleeq
Muhammad Mustafa Umar Gondel
Muhammad Usama Mirza
Zeerak Naveed
Haroon Butt
The ‘Lifeboat’ Dilemma

The ship is sinking, and the seas are rough. All but one lifeboat has been destroyed. The lifeboat holds
a maximum of six people. There are ten people that want to board the lifeboat. The four individuals
who do not board the boat will certainly die.

a. Woman who is six weeks pregnant

b. Lifeguard
c. Two young adults who recently married.
d. Senior citizen who has fifteen grandchildren
e. Prominent professor at University
f. Thirteen-year-old twins
g. Veteran surgeon
h. Captain of the ship
Muhammad Mustafa Umar Gondel

Woman who is six weeks pregnant

As a captain to fulfil the responsibility to save lives of people, I would board the pregnant
woman on my first priority, out of the ten ill-fated individuals. Saving the woman is the most
morally and ethically right thing to do.
Firstly we should look at it in perspective of her utility to the society as a whole. In
comparison to the rest of the group, the woman is pregnant and if we save her, we actually
save two lives instead of one. Given the opportunity, the kid to be born has whole life ahead
and there is a huge possibility that he will grow up to become a productive citizen. Moreover,
if we make comparison with the rest of the individuals, the woman has an edge over certain
individuals and on gender basis.
A logical approach would also analyze the usefulness of those on the boat in regards to their
chances of survival. In addition, their understanding of each other’s needs, strengths, &
weaknesses will certainly help them in the race of survival. Thus saving the woman is a more
ethically sound approach, with due respect to the rest of the individuals.

Lifeguard

Although the lifeguard will prove to be useful in the rescue operation, it is part of his
responsibility to put his passengers first. Therefore, the lifeguard cannot board the lifeboat.
All over the world, lifeguards are taught to put the safety and well-being of the public above
all other considerations. According to the United States Lifesaving Association’s Code of
Ethics, a lifeguard needs to observe exemplary behavior in emergency situations. In this
particular case, there are other individuals who can potentially contribute more to the society
in years to come. The first priority needs to be given to women and children compromising
the lifeguard in the process. Thus not boarding him on the boat is a reasonable approach.

Maaz Khaleeq

Two young adults who recently married.

Out of the two young adults, the female should be allowed to board the lifeboat. The general
rule in a crisis situation is to save women and children first as men are more prone to save
themselves. The woman can assist the pregnant woman on the boat too as she would need
help getting on and off the boat. Also as the couple has been recently married, there can be a
possibility that the woman is pregnant which further supports the argument that the woman
needs to be saved as it would be saving two lives in that case.

The male should not be allowed to board the lifeboat as the capacity of the boat does not
allow that. The man can swim along with the boat and try his luck to save himself. By not
boarding the boat, he will be saving his wife which is a very noble deed indeed. A prime
example of such a case is Jack Dawson from Titanic who saved his girlfriend by getting her
on the plank from the debris. So the man should do the same and save his wife. The man
being young in age has a good chance of surviving by swimming along with the boat.

Muhammad Usama Mirza

Prominent professor at University

The professor should be allowed on the lifeboat because the professor can pass on his
knowledge to hundreds of students throughout the rest of his life. All the students the
professor could have nurtured in his life will be affected by his death. Many of the
professor’s potential students will go on to contribute to society. Many of them will pass on
their knowledge to another generation of students. Every single person that will benefit from
the knowledge of the professor and the hundreds of students he will teach will give further
importance to the professor’s life. This makes the professor’s life more important than most
of the other passengers and thus saving him is a top priority.

Veteran surgeon

The veteran surgeon should be allowed on the lifeboat because the surgeon can save hundreds
of lives throughout the rest of his life. Based on his career the surgeon will continue to
perform many successful surgeries throughout his life. Every successful surgery and with it
every life that the surgeon can save will give meaning to his life and make it more important
to save him. The surgeon will go on to save far more lives than the four people that are left
behind to die this day. Every life that the surgeon will save will eventually make a significant
change and the credit will partially belong to the surgeon. That is why it would be ethically
correct to save the surgeon.

Zeerak Naveed

Thirteen-year-old twins

Given the choice, I would deem it necessary to board the two twins on the lifeboat out of the
ten unfortunate people. From all aspects of morality, ethicality and logic, it is perhaps one of
the easiest decisions to make.

In all emergency situations that people have encountered throughout the ages, women and
children have been given the topmost priority because of their position as an asset of greater
value to the society. Children especially are considered as the individuals with the greatest
potential due to the fact that they have time on their side. In this case, assuming that the twins
reach the global average life expectancy, the twins can grow up to be highly respected
citizens of the society and contribute positively to the world. Furthermore, in comparison
with the other individuals on the boat such as the senior citizen, lifeguard etc. it is obvious
that they hold an advantage.

Let us take another point of view into consideration by talking along the lines of morality and
put utilitarianism to a side. Children being the weakest of all people, command a sense of
extra care and responsibility towards them. In all of the ethical theories studied by humans,
the priority is always given to the one who is the most helpless. It can be agreed that in an
adversity such as this, the twins will be the ones in need of the most amount of help along
with the pregnant woman. Although the same can be said about the senior citizen on board,
other arguments play in favor of the twins.

From a crisis management perspective, children are one of the most important resources.
Their ability to grasp important pieces of information quickly and follow instructions closely
make them a vital asset in a marine emergency. The twins will therefore exhibit the required
leadership and coordination skills in such a situation, increasing the chances of survival of the
rest of the individuals on the lifeboat as well.

Haroon Butt

Senior citizen who has fifteen grandchildren

The senior citizen should not be allowed on the lifeboat because she has already lived her
life. She has accomplished everything she could in life and has lived to see her grandchildren
therefore her life should not be given priority over the other younger passengers. The other
passengers can still have lives to live and can contribute to society. The senior citizen also
does not have anyone that is dependent on her so her death will have a relatively smaller
impact on her relatives.

Captain of the ship

The captain must not board the lifeboat as the passengers are his responsibility and therefore
it is his duty to prioritize the lives of his passengers over his own. The captain must go down
with his ship while saving the other passengers.