Problem
Ethics for Life, Chapter 2, teaches moral reasoning and how to formulate a reasoned, logical argument for solving moral dilemmas. Construct a moral argument using the "Five Steps for Constructing Moral Arguments" outlined in Chapter 2.
Topic: The Life Boat
You are on a cruise ship when there is a fire on board, and the ship has to be abandoned. The lifeboats are carrying many more people than they were designed to carry. The lifeboat you are sitting in is dangerously low in the water - a few inches lower and it will sink. A group of old people are in the water and beg you to throw them a rope so they can come aboard the lifeboat.
Argue for one of the following two choices:
i. You should throw them the rope, knowing the boat will sink and everyone will probably drown.
ii. You should not throw the rope, knowing that the people already in the boat could be saved.
Reference:
Ethics for Life, Chapter 2, pp. 47-51.