Imagine sitting quietly in class and a deep, loud voice circulates in the room. In front of the classroom, you see a bright red button coming through the wall. The voice tells you that you have two options. You could push the button to save your life and others in the room lives, or you could not push the button and everyone lives.The big red button scenario was very popular and controversial this week in class. No one wants to take the chance of dying, so many chose the option of pushing the button. However, many were looking from Mill’s perspective and chose to not push the button, which meant the greater amount of happiness for the most people. The problem in that choice is trust. That’s why I would push the button. Although I want everyone to live, I don’t know what’s going through the minds of others. Just because myself and others in the room made the decision to not push the button, doesn’t mean that everyone in the next room has made the same decision. I would not take a chance with my life. If I trusted and believed that everyone in the next room had trust in me and the individuals in my room to not push the button, I wouldn't have a problem with not pushing the button. It is every man for himself. Most likely, somebody in the next room has the same mindset as me and believes that somebody is going to push the button. Waiting to see if I am going to die or not would be very nerve wrecking. All of those nerves would cease, if the button is pushed, and it is guaranteed that I am going to live. Many believe that a rational person would not push the button. However, who knows if everybody in both rooms are rational? You might feel that the best choice is to not push the button, so that everybody lives. But a “irrational” person might not feel the same. As I previously stated, this is where trust and selfishness comes into play. Do you trust the people in the next room to not push the button? Do you believe that everyone in the next room is rational? Are you willing to to take a chance with your life? My answer to all of these questions is no, which is why I would push the button.
I agree with you, I would definitely push the button. Even though it would be kind of hard to live with the fact that I killed others, you have to do what you have to do. Like you stated it is every man for himself, there has to be one rational person in that room thinking like you are, you can't risk your life on basically a hope and a prayer.
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