Kill 1 to save 1,000?

[Burnwild]

If 1,000 people were on their way to kill 1, then it would be justified to kill the 1,000. That's how the justice system works.

[StationaryHawk]

It really depends on who the people are. I could kill the one and save a thousand, but those thousands could go on to kill people themselves, or the one could go on to invent the cure for a fatal disease or solve world hunger or whatever. However, without any knowledge of the future, chances are I would kill the one to save a thousand.

[Anakso]

It's kind of a tough call, in a straight situation the 1000 people are absolutely going to die if you don't kill the 1 then yes, but it'd be difficult for that exact situation to occur, it'd be more likely kill the 1 to save the 1000 from a possible death.

At the end of the day though, you personally taking the mans life (unless at gun point to do so I guess) would be against the law so if it came to a 1000 person hostage situation and they said "kill this guy or they all die" the police would have to then protect him not kill him, like what happened in the Dark Knight.


Though I don't know if you have ever seen Torch Wood: Children of earth but that has a very similar situation, it's basically "Can you kill your only son to save half the children of earth"

[PizzaSHARK]

Assuming I don't know either, I'd probably just let all 1,001 die. It's not my problem.