Thomson's Violin

Please take some time to reflect on the following classical ethical dilemma.

Thomson’s Violin

One day, you wake up in hospital. In the nearby bed lies a world famous violinist who is connected to you with various tubes and machines.

To your horror, you discover that you have been kidnapped by the Music Appreciation Society. Aware of the maestro’s impending death, they hooked you up to the violinist.

If you stay in the hospital bed, connected to the violinist, he will be totally cured in nine months. You are unlikely to suffer harm. No one else can save him. Do you have an obligation to stay connected?

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Response

If I were to respond to this in a "philosophical" way, I or anyone for that matter do not have any obligation to be hooked up to this person, whether he/she may be a famous violinist or a beggar on the street because no one's life is more important than another, but in this case if I were the only one to be able to save this person's life and not do so, I would find it to be very unethical.

The word "ethical" is the definitive of pertaining to right and wrong in conduct. This responsibility, though it was put upon you in a way in which you had no consent, a person's life is in your hands. You ultimately decide whether this being, no matter how much "good or bad" they fulfilled in their life, is still capable of living. If you were to choose to end this person's life, you could relate this hypothetical decision to murder because you were the one who had complete control of ending or saving this persons life and if you chose for it to end simply of inconvenience, apathy towards this person, or the fact you did not have a choice it could be seen still as your responsibility. Though people may think nine months is an inconvenience, it is not any different than a woman going through pregnancy.

Though I find it unethical to end a person's life in this situation, it is each individual person's right to choose whether they want to end or save this person's life. Just like abortion, people have their own personal opinions against this issue and there is no right or wrong as with Thomson's Violin.