Ethical Dilemma Question

We’ve looked at several different ethical theories during this semester. Read the following ethical dilemma then answer the question at the end:

The Hijacked Plane

You are now on a plane containing 153 people currently flying over barren desert. Hijackers take over, killing the pilot and co-pilot and sealing themselves in the cockpit. There is no way for you to open the door, but you could damage the ventilation system causing poisonous fumes to fill the cockpit. If you do this, the hijackers will die, but no one will be able to enter the cockpit and fly the plane; it will crash in the desert killing everyone on board. If you do nothing, the hijackers might land the plane safely – or they might crash it into a civilian target killing even more people. Time is quickly running out and you need to make a choice right now. What should you do? Why is your solution the best possible choice?

Directions: Select, define, and explain how one ethical philosophy might best resolve this dilemma; you can use more than one philosopher/theory if you prefer. You can use any of the ideas discussed in the readings; you do not need to reference your sources. Remember the main underlying principles of ethics discussed throughout this semester, e.g., to not to make a situation worse; do no harm; exhibit good conduct. Write clearly and concisely. Use proper sentence structure, grammar, etc. This question is testing your level of comprehension of the theory or theories selected and their application (synthesis) to this dilemma. Be sure your answer is complete and accurate; for instance: writing only 4 sentences would not be considered a thorough response. Your answer should be 3-4 paragraphs.