Moral Stories
Story 34
You are an inspector of a nuclear power plant. The plant foreman and you are visiting the facility when one of the supply conduits overheats. The emergency coolant system fails to activate, and a chain reaction which will result in a nuclear meltdown is about to start. This will release lethal radiation into the nearby town, killing thousands of people.
Question
Do you release the heat inserting liquid nitrogen into the supply chamber where the employee is trapped, so the nuclear chain reaction will be stopped in time for you and the thousands of people?
Majority Answer: Yes
Answer distribution over 25 people:
Is Ambiguous: False
Factor
These are the factors and their attributes present in this story.
Beneficiary: Self-beneficial
Causal Role: Side Effect
Evitability: Inevitable
Personal Force: Impersonal