If we knew that 5 of us would likely be killed in the process, I would still be willing to go.
That's not rational. Bravery has nothing to do with it.
If it were my sister, of course I'd want her to be saved, but I would hope I could muster the class to stop you from going. And if you went anyway and she were saved but you and four of your buddies died in the process, I still could never forgive myself.
I think, though, the example more relevant to my point is that we would drop bombs and kill five civilians, perhaps also relatives of mine, perhaps relatives of yours, to save my sister. I couldn't live with that, either. You don't give up five lives to save one, no matter how dear that one is to you.
That principle is the same as my not being willing to risk having the person who assisted my suicide be prosecuted, no matter how much I was suffering and wanted out. |
