Philosophical Topics in Light Novels/Manga/Anime (details in the first post)

[Momogari]

My biggest issue with atlas shrugged was how sexist it was.

I mean it was creepy besides, but yeah.

[unoduetre]

I'll probably hate the sexism there and it might stop me from finishing it.

Oh, btw. if one wants to read some books from "my camp" , I recommend:

- The Last of the Masters by Philip K. Dick,
- The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin.

[unoduetre]

[mention=63951]lambda-sky[/mention]

I'll take a look at the book you mentioned and let you know what I think.

[Momogari]

- The Last of the Masters by Philip K. Dick,
- The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin.

are they good stories besides being your camp?

[unoduetre]

Yup. Do you know the writers? If you do, you should know what to expect.

[Momogari]

I've enjoyed some Ursula K Le Guin, many years ago.

[lambda-sky]

 

[unoduetre]

The next topic is based on the anime Babylon. If you haven't watched it yet, I recommend it (but it contains some violence, so only watch it, if you don't mind it).

What is your moral evaluation of suicide and why (if there is a reason at all)?

Is it a bad thing?
Is it morally neutral?
Or maybe it is a good thing? (e.g. for ecological reasons)
Or maybe it depends on circumstances (what circumstances)?

What do you think?

[unoduetre]

This post is also related to the Babylon anime.

From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problem

There is a runaway trolley barreling down the railway tracks. Ahead, on the tracks, there are five people tied up and unable to move. The trolley is headed straight for them. You are standing some distance off in the train yard, next to a lever. If you pull this lever, the trolley will switch to a different set of tracks. However, you notice that there is one person on the side track. You have two options:

a) Do nothing and allow the trolley to kill the five people on the main track.
b) Pull the lever, diverting the trolley onto the side track where it will kill one person.

Which is the more ethical option? Or, more simply: What is the right thing to do?

What do you think?

How about this one?

From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problem

A brilliant transplant surgeon has five patients, each in need of a different organ, each of whom will die without that organ. Unfortunately, there are no organs available to perform any of these five transplant operations. A healthy young traveler, just passing through the city the doctor works in, comes in for a routine checkup. In the course of doing the checkup, the doctor discovers that his organs are compatible with all five of his dying patients. Suppose further that if the young man were to disappear, no one would suspect the doctor. Do you support the morality of the doctor to kill that tourist and provide his healthy organs to those five dying people and save their lives?

Are these two problems the same or they're different. If they're different, in what ways?

[unoduetre]

I think it's important that an assumption is added to the second problem that it must be 100% chance of success if one wants to get similar situations.