Would you rather...

kill your daughter to save an entire country from a huge catastrophe

be the cause of the catastrophe that destroys a country

In this scenario, you have a daughter.

Daughter Catastrophe

asked by AnonymousJan 26, 2012

VintageFamily Sacrifices Violence

Community arguments

kill your daughter to save an entire country from a huge catastrophe

Saving millions of lives at the cost of one is the clearest available case for utilitarian sacrifice
Refusing to act out of personal attachment means choosing one relationship over millions of innocent lives
The grief of a necessary sacrifice may be easier to bear than the guilt of preventable mass death

be the cause of the catastrophe that destroys a country

You get to choose which country, meaning you could target the smallest possible population to minimize harm
Causing a catastrophe is morally different from directly murdering your own child with your hands
No parent should be expected to kill their child; the moral weight of that act is categorically different

Last generated Jun 29, 2026.

Comments

Would you rather...

kill your daughter to save an entire country from a huge catastrophe

be the cause of the catastrophe that destroys a country