Paradox Question 1

1. 0

   Mad Prophetposted 12 years ago

   I plan on asking many of you controversial questions about society that will not only challenge your moral senses, but force you to make the choices many of us would never want to make.  As some of you are blantenly arrogant to believe that the lines between right and wrong are always so fucking clear when in reality, that's nothing more than a grand sack of bullshit.  Anyways, I plan on releasing weekly paradox questions that will force you to answer honestly.  You may not like the questions, but too bad. 
   
   My first question.  What if you had a son/daughter who was only a 10 yrs old.  They were always doing their chores, made good grades in school, and you loved them.  Now, lets just say you invented a time machine.  I know some time theories suggest that even if time travel were possible that it would be impossible to see the future, as it hasn't happened yet.  However for the sake of argument, lets just say you can travel to the future.  In the future, you find out your innocent ten yr old grows up to become the next Hitler/Bin Laden or insert whatever evil tyrant you prefer to here.  Now, knowing that you know this....would you a) kill your child because you know it would inevitably save millions of lives later on.  Or b) do whatever it takes to make sure that future never happens.  If you do choose b, then please say exactly what you would do.

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2. 81

   earnestshubposted 12 years ago

   I don't know what I would do ultimately, it would depend on the outcome of medical tests such as MRI and other brain imaging processes.
   If nothing was found, I would keep testing until all mechanical sources of the pending sociopathic condition was eliminated.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Then I may check the child as well!

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3. 70

   Cagsilposted 12 years ago

   Well, first off mad prophet, it would be nice if you read the rules to the forum. Swearing isn't allowed.
   
   Secondly, the answer to your question is fairly simple. If the child was to turn out as you say in the future, then you would need to find the one action that fostered the hatred and eliminate it or prevent it from fostering within my child.
   
   Knowing in advance what would influence my child to such an extreme, I would be able to handle the situation much better. Killing the child would be stupid and absurd, regardless of what s/he would turn out to be. What matters is the influence that turns him/her toward that view.

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4. 63

   SandyMcCollumposted 12 years ago

   What Cagsil said. If you're aware of the problem you can look for the cause and act accordingly. I'd start talking about humanitarian things like helping Japan or Haiti recover, etc. I would probably have them doing some volunteer work, etc. Teach them the values of other human beings and how we should all help each other.
   
   Would that work? Maybe, maybe not. But killing the child would never cross my mind. I don't know of any parent that would choose that path.

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5. 0

   Stevennix2001posted 12 years ago

   I would probably end up doing all of the above that was mentioned by Cagsil, Sandy and Earnest.  However, I would like to point out that I would also teach my child about compassion, and how important life was. How we're all universally the same, and how violence should never be used unless it was a last resort.  And, I would most of all talk to him/her frequently.  Challenge their point of views intellectually, so it would force them to often stop and think about their actions and thoughts.  Comfort them if they needed me to, and inform them of healthy ways to unleash one's anger about some of societies' hypocrisies.  Little things like encouraging them to either play sports, write, read, or whatever it was that they seemed interested in.  The point is that I would make sure they knew there was other and more beneficial ways to make a difference in society, than to torment and get off on the miseries of others.  Besides, one of the best things about owning a time machine is that you really have all the time in the world.  Even if you screw up preventing him/her from becoming a tyrant, you can still go back and give a note to your younger self to let them know what did and didn't work. 
   
   To kill the child?  I would never consider it.  Not in a million years

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6. 60

   Disturbiaposted 12 years ago

   If I can travel into the future, can I also travel into the past?  If so, I'd just use better birth control.  If I couldn't do that... oh well.

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7. 61

   Jonathan Jancoposted 12 years ago

   The future is always preventable. Just ask Scrooge.

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