Simple Philosophy

[Mekora]

Here's a simple philosophical question for all of you  out there:

Real Story: There was a crew of 4 on a ship, abandoned and in turmoil. They had no food or water for 17 days. One of the people was a cabin boy and was sick, because he had drank sea water. The other 3 decided to kill the cabin boy and eat him. For three days they were eating the boy, and on the fourth day were rescued. Was this right or should all 4 have died? Would it be right if they asked for the cabin boy's consent first, before dying for them? Would dying for them make the boy a martyr?

Later on, the 3 went to trial. What would you do as the jury/judge? Was the situation morally permissible? Does the degree of necessity exonerate the 3 sailors from guilt?

Additional Details: The 3 men each had a family and children. The cabin boy was an orphan. But does this change anything?

Perhaps the question is less that of philosophy, but more of moral values.

[Tzarhunt]

I never got the thing about cannibalism being immoral anyway... Once something once alive is dead, it's meat.

Most religions (common moral is originally issued from religious values right?) consider soul (i.e what makes the difference between a human and an animal) separate from body at death. Thus in what a dead man is different from a dead animal?
People that doesn't believe in 'soul' but as a type of chemical exchanges in the cortex consider it disappears at death. So once again, a dead person is like a dead animal (with clothes).
As said Descartes: Body is soul's tomb.

But funeral rituals and all the fuss about the remaining material form of the dead always left me perplex, so I'm not sure I can add or understand anything significant in this matter.

[Phantomboy86]

I would have asked for the cabin boy's consent first, and hopefully he would know that it needed to be done. If he said no, im eating him anyways. 3 healthy people with families need the chance more.

I'm sure in the cabin boy's position my opinion would be different, but im not the cabin boy and can't be, so the blank 3rd person view tells me that decision.

[ncfbn]

They should have used him as bait for some delicious sharks.

[Karlyle]

I disagree with most of you.  What right does one man have over another to kill.    Granted the 3 men had families, but they also, by that time had had lived a descent life.  The boy could have still had his whole life ahead of him.  Now, if he would have died first, then yes, I consent to the term of cannibalism, in its most basic form.  They ate to stay alive.  When hungry enough, it is surprising what one will eat.  Of course, this is just my opinion, which doesnt count for much anyways.

[Gilrond]

It's not a philosophical, it's a moral question. And it was wrong.

[Sangwa]

Yeah, moral question.

Killing the dude sort of ignores the fact that instead of taking 3 days the rescue could have taken one. Kid was sick anyway, I'd just wait for my meal like a polite person. I wouldn't judge them guilty though, because it's pointless to put 3 people who went through a one of a kind situation and did a one of a kind mess to 20 years of jail.

[Knightspark9]

Do your best to help the kid; you can live without food for months, three days won't kill you.

[Mekora]

Do your best to help the kid; you can live without food for months, three days won't kill you.

They hadn't had food in 17 days, and between the 4 of them, 3 cans of vegetables in 24 days. They did not know that they would be rescued in 3 days, it could've taken weeks as it was a pure accident that they were rescued. Nobody went looking for them. It was about 1890 when it happened if I remember correctly.

[Knightspark9]

Do your best to help the kid; you can live without food for months, three days won't kill you.

They hadn't had food in 17 days, and between the 4 of them, 3 cans of vegetables in 24 days. They did not know that they would be rescued in 3 days, it could've taken weeks as it was a pure accident that they were rescued. Nobody went looking for them. It was about 1890 when it happened if I remember correctly.

You can still go months without food and live. I wouldn't do it unless I was REALLY desperate, I'm talking about months without food.

[Sarras Volcae]

knightspark, you can only go months without food if you have plenty of water. but the crew could have survived longer than 17 or 24 days without food. they may have not known that, or maybe the climate was so harsh they were beginning to die sooner than usual. i don't believe they survived that long without water. you'll die in a few days without it.

i wouldn't charge them with murder or anything. at that point, laws didn't matter. they did not know they would be rescued in 4 days. they were barely surviving and desperate. it's morally wrong to kill someone, but they had to do it. they probably wouldn't have killed the cabin boy under normal circumstances... their lives were threatened. so, it's kind of like being under duress by nature.

if they asked for consent, and the cabin boy agreed, then he would be a martyr. it's more likely he wouldn't agree. the three crewmen would have to honor his decision, though. they probably wouldn't.

[Mekora]

If you've ever read the book, "The Sea Wolf" By Jack London... Good old wolf larsen most likely wouldn't hesitate to kill anybody on the first day.

And by the way Sarras, they had no water, but it probably rained a fair amount, which would be although poor, a substitute for water. And one can last up to 4 weeks without food, so  they were coming close to their end if you think about it.

By the way, thanks everyone for your answers, some are quite interesting.

[Gilrond]

If you've ever read the book, "The Sea Wolf" By Jack London... Good old wolf larsen most likely wouldn't hesitate to kill anybody on the first day.

And we know, what others thought about him. So what's the idea of the topic? To figure out who would side with Larsen, and who won't?

[Catlemur]

There was a real story with a Soviet ship crew being in a similar prefering to die than becoming cannibals.I would do the same with them.Luckily for them they were found and picked up by  a US ship.

[Aramara Meibi]

you should all read Stranger in a Strange Land