Dilemma: Attacked by Indians

In class the dilemma was presented that a woman and her children are hiding in a cabin that is being attacked by Indians. If one of the babies starts crying, should she suffocate it to save the rest of the children and herself?

I believe that she has the make the choice the serves to the greater good of her and her children. We are clearly not talking about something happening in a civil American society, so I don’t think we can analyze the situation the same as we would in our society because our life and situation is much different. Just look at the Darfur situation where 35 African Fur tribe villagers were killed in 2002 when bandits raided their village looting and killing everyone they found. If the woman from the dilemma had a safe haven or secure hiding spot of protection, in order to save the rest of her kids and herself, I think, she should suffocate the crying baby. Its either one die or they all die. That is the choice she is presented with. In stressful dilemmas where life or death situations are presented the world is no longer governed on a moral or ethical code. It’s now a survival code! Take away civilization and you take away moral code and ethics because it is all created by man living in a civil society. We live in a civil society so we hold things like morality, virtue, and ethics high, but someone living in tribe or out in nature holds survival high. In the dilemma with the woman and her kids she has to sacrifice one to save many. To let her child cry is to say that one of her child’s life is more important that the livelihood of all of her children and her. It’s not about right or wrong because no matter the situation it is always wrong to take a life, but she had to ensure the survival of her and her children. “Live to see another day!” American society and any society in general are built on making sacrifices for the greater good of the society. It’s different than the thousands of troops dying in war for the greater good of the millions living in the United States.