Villareal, Kommel F.

CE501

February 17, 2020

Questions:

Should batman kill the joker?

Always choose the greatest good for the greatest numbers. We all know that the Joker has
been killing innocent lives just because of his own perception. Doing illegal thing and keeps
getting out of the jail. Yes, Batman should kill Joker because in order for this actions to be
stopped. It is just like killing a terrorist on a war, it is better to kill than to be killed when it
comes in this situation. Yes killing is against morality and even the rules, but always remember
that there are always an exemptions in every rules. There is also a rule or law that letting
someone do illegal action that you know you can do something in order to stop will also make
you guilty of the said action. Like what happened to Pontius Pilate, he refuse to stop the people
for letting Jesus be crucified and washes his hand to prove his innocence but it does not mean he
is no longer guilty of the action.

If you have the ability to stop a killer and you don’t, are you morally pure because you
didn’t kill or are you morally dirty cause you refuse to do what needs to be done?

As I have discussed in the previous question, it is not just morally dirty to refuse to make
an action on something illegal but also against the rule of law. You may not be the one who is
doing the physical work in the killing process, but refusing to stop it will plead you guilty in the
court. But again, there is an exemption, if you can stop it, but it may lead you to death, then you
can be innocent of the act. Morally is not just from someone who does the action, but also the
people who have the power or authority to prevent them from happening. If you have the power
to prevent something bad to happen and you refuse to do anything about it you are guilty just like
you are the one committing the action. You cannot play innocent every time, people sometimes
needs to be corrected to prevent unnecessary actions.

Why do you want good grades or money?

As a student, I want to have good grades in order for me to graduate. It is not that I want
good grades to impress anybody, but I need it to get a closer peak of my dreams. It is not just
wanting it but more on needing it just like money. Nowadays, everything has a price on it,
nothing is free. Yes, it is free to dream, but getting on that dream is expensive most of the time.
You need to invest a lot of hard work, time and money. I want money because I need to fulfil my
dreams. If I am already successful and already attained what I need in this life, I would no longer
want money. But as a starter, money is a necessity. I can’t even go to college without money
which is one step going to my dream. Just to be clear, money does not give me pleasure, but
money can buy me things or services that provides me that pleasure.

If Jim shoot one of the prisoners, the 19 protestors will be free, but if Jim refuses, then the
Soldier will shoot all protestors. What should Jim do?

Jim should choose to shoot one protestor to free the other 19. If Jim refuses to do
something, the soldiers will still kill all of the 20 protestors which can be worst. The problem is,
Jim hand will be covered by blood but thinking of the situation, that one person he’ll shoot is
considered dead no matter what. Letting the other 19 be killed can also be accounted on Jim’s
action. The principle of utility applies here, the greatest good for the greatest number. It has no
difference for letting someone be killed if you can prevent it than killing less people in order to
save many. Yes you may not want to involve yourself on the actual killing but your only choice
is to kill one and save 19 or let all the 20 be killed. Obviously, killing all is the worst case
scenario to happen so Jim should never choose that option.

Own Question/Scenario:

You own a multi-million dollar company in the country. The company has been passed
on from generation to generation and currently you are the one handling the business. As a good
company, you have committed a 10 year pension that is being given on a monthly basis for the
employee who retired from the company. Unfortunately, one terrible thing was discovered that
one of your accountant has not been paying tax and just keeping the money. The government
mandates you to pay the taxes that were avoided but by doing this you’ll need to stop giving
pensions for the retiree which will affect hundreds of life. Since the pension from the company is
a discretion from the company, this means stopping it at any time is legal. Would you choose to
save your company or just continue providing pension?

First Respondent: Cornelio Fernandez III

I would rather choose to save the company. Since the company has the right to stop the
pension to those retired employees and the company have already provided a 10-year pension for
every month, I think it is a good help even though the company has no obligation to them. If I
choose to continue on providing pension, the company will be shut down because of not abiding
the law, which is not paying the taxes. Over a long period of time the pension will also be
stopped because nothing will be left to the company’s fund. By applying act and rule utilitarian, I
can save more than hundreds of lives if the company stays in the business, these include the
current employees, which I think more than hundreds of people since the company earns a multi-
million dollar. In this situation, helping yourself is more important before helping others, that’s
why I need to help the company to back in business first to save more lives.
Second Respondent: Bryan Christian Mediarito

I will choose not to continue the pension of the retiree and pay the company’s tax which
is required by the government. If I continue to pay the retiree’s pension, I will lose the company
and I can’t continue to give pension in the future. By saving the company from taxes, I can
maintain my company to its normal operations and pay the retiree’s pension from when I stop
giving. I choose this because I think the company is more important than continuing the pension
even though it is the only income of the retiree and affecting hundreds of lives. The company can
generate income which will benefit me and made only a delay to the retiree. If I will not save up
the company, it is still my debt and I will be the one in needed. The tax of the company is also
my debt since the owner is responsible for its entirety. I’ll choose to pay the company’s tax first,
and can continue to pay the pension in time.

Important Persons:

1. Imannuel Kant

 Kantianism – morality cleanses; absolute morality cleanses absolutely; there are

no excuses for violating moral rule.

2. Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill

 Utilitarianism was made for the good of everybody

 Act and Rule Utiliratianism

3. Epicurus

 If thou wilt make a man happy, add not unto his riches but take away his desires.

4. Bernard Williams

 Jim and the Indigenous people; A Critique of Utilitarianism