The cabin boy menace
Throw the baby out with the bath water.
Today's ethical dilemma is a continuation of yesterday's. In this case, Tom the Cabin Boy tries to board the lifeboat, but causes it to tip (he must be Tom the "Fat Bastard" Cabin Boy to do that). The captain orders Bert the Cook to knock Tom back into the water.
What does Bert do? The book suggests that Bert could sacrifice himself for Tom or chuck the captain overboard, but he might not favour the former because the instinct for self-preservation is stronger (also, since Tom's a fat bastard, he'll eat all the rations); he might not favour the latter because the captain has the key to the rations locker. Bert could always try to push someone else overboard, and would then perhaps decide who most dispensable member of the crew is; which leads him straight back to Tom the Cabin Boy who's already in the water. Problem solved.
Today's ethical dilemma is a continuation of yesterday's. In this case, Tom the Cabin Boy tries to board the lifeboat, but causes it to tip (he must be Tom the "Fat Bastard" Cabin Boy to do that). The captain orders Bert the Cook to knock Tom back into the water.
What does Bert do? The book suggests that Bert could sacrifice himself for Tom or chuck the captain overboard, but he might not favour the former because the instinct for self-preservation is stronger (also, since Tom's a fat bastard, he'll eat all the rations); he might not favour the latter because the captain has the key to the rations locker. Bert could always try to push someone else overboard, and would then perhaps decide who most dispensable member of the crew is; which leads him straight back to Tom the Cabin Boy who's already in the water. Problem solved.
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