You are the captain of a submarine. An explosion has caused the sub to lose most of its oxygen supply and has injured a crewman who is bleeding badly and is going to die from his wound no matter what happens. The remaining oxygen is not sufficient for the entire crew to make it to the surface. The only way to save the other crew members is for you to shoot dead the injured crewman now. Then there will be just enough oxygen for the rest of the crew to survive.
Do you shoot the injured crewman?
The framework for ethical decision making (that you read earlier in the lesson) lists five sources of ethical standards. Which one is primarily guiding your decision? Explain.