A LESSON IN CHOICE AND MORAL DILEMMAS. DECISION-MAKING, MORALITY, AND THE TRAGIC YET FUNNY LIFE OF A MAN NAMED STEVE. A LESSON IN CHOICE AND MORAL DILEMMAS.

THIS IS A Nearby Partner ACTIVITY THIS IS A Nearby Partner ACTIVITY. YOU WILL SEE A “SITUATION” AND A RESULTING “DECISION” MADE BY A CHARACTER. YOU MUST DECIDE IF YOU: AGREE DISAGREE PREPARE TO DEFEND YOURSELF AND YOUR REASONING. THESE ARE NOT JUST CHOICES—THESE ARE INSIGHTS INTO YOUR MORALITY. (THERE ARE 10 SLIDES. EACH SLIDE WILL BE DISPLAYED AND DISCUSSED FOR 3 MINUTES MAX) CHOOSE WISELY. THINK FAST.

BILL CHEATS OFF OF JULIE’S ANSWER SHEET. SITUATION: BILL NEEDS TO GET AN “A” ON THE FINAL EXAM HE’S TAKING TODAY TO PASS THE CLASS. THE GIRL NEXT TO HIM, JULIE, IS THE BEST STUDENT IN THE ROOM AND BILL HAS A CLEAR LINE OF SIGHT TO HER ANSWER SHEET. THE TEACHER IS SITTING IN THE FRONT OF THE ROOM READING A NEWSPAPER, NOT PAYING ATTENTION. BILL NEEDS TO DECIDE TO TAKE THE TEST HIMSELF OR CHEAT OFF JULIE. DECISION: BILL CHEATS OFF OF JULIE’S ANSWER SHEET. 1/10

STEVE KEEPS TESTING AND IGNORES IT. SITUATION: STEVE, WHO SITS BEHIND BILL, SEES BILL CHEATING OFF OF JULIE DURING THE EXAM. STEVE HAS TO DECIDE TO TELL ON BILL, ALERT JULIE, OR JUST IGNORE IT. DECISION: STEVE KEEPS TESTING AND IGNORES IT. 2/10

SITUATION: AFTER THE TEST, STEVE SEES BILL TAKE 20 DOLLARS OUT OF JULIE’S OPEN PURSE NEXT TO HER DESK AND PUT IT IN HIS OWN POCKET. JULIE IS UNAWARE OF WHAT JUST HAPPENED. STEVE HAS TO DECIDE TO TELL ON BILL, ALERT JULIE, OR IGNORE IT. DECISION: WHILE WALKING OUT OF THE ROOM, STEVE TELLS JULIE THAT BILL STOLE MONEY FROM HER PURSE. 3/10

STEVE PUTS THE MONEY IN HIS WALLET AND WALKS OUT. SITUATION: STEVE GOES TO CHIPOTLE AFTER THE TEST TO GET A DELICIOUS BURRITO AND TO GET HIS MIND OFF ALL THESE MORAL DILEMMAS. JUST THEN, THE CASHIER GIVES STEVE 20 DOLLARS MORE IN CHANGE THAN HE SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED. STEVE HAS TO DECIDE TO KEEP THE MONEY OR TELL THE CASHIER OF HER MISTAKE. DECISION: STEVE PUTS THE MONEY IN HIS WALLET AND WALKS OUT. 4/10

STEVE TAKES THE BLAME HIMSELF. SITUATION: WHILE DRIVING HOME, STEVE LOOKS DOWN TO COUNT HIS NEW MONEY AND TO TAKE A BITE OF HIS DELICIOUS CHIPOTLE BURRITO. THIS CAUSES STEVE TO HIT SOMETHING ON THE ROAD. MORE CARS PILE UP IN THE ACCIDENT THAT STEVE AND HIS BURRITO STARTED. STEVE GETS OUT OF HIS CAR AND REALIZES HE’S ACCIDENTALLY HIT BILL AND KILLED HIM. A WOMAN FROM ANOTHER CAR IN THE PILE UP, HOWEVER, RUNS OUT AND POINTS TO THE BODY OF BILL AND YELLS, “I’VE KILLED HIM!” STEVE HAS TO DECIDE TO TAKE THE BLAME (WHICH IS REALLY HIS) OR PASS IT OFF TO THE LADY WHO MISTAKINGLY THINKS IT WAS HER FAULT. DECISION: STEVE TAKES THE BLAME HIMSELF. 5/10

STEVE OBEYS THE LAW AND DOES NOT STEAL THE MEDICINE. SITUATION: AFTER SERVING 8 YEARS IN PRISON FOR MAN-SLAUGHTER, STEVE IS RELEASED ONLY TO FIND THAT HIS MOTHER IS DYING FROM A DISEASE. SINCE STEVE HAS NOT BEEN WORKING FOR NEARLY A DECADE, HE HAS NO MONEY. THE MEDICINE NEEDED TO HELP CURE HIS MOTHER IS TOO EXPENSIVE FOR STEVE TO FINANCE. HE CAN, HOWEVER, STEAL THE MEDICINE ILLEGALLY. STEVE HAS TO DECIDE TO STEAL THE MEDICINE OR OBEY THE LAW. DECISION: STEVE OBEYS THE LAW AND DOES NOT STEAL THE MEDICINE. 6/10

STEVE DOES NOT INCREASE THE DOSAGE AND LETS HIS MOTHER SUFFER. SITUATION: AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS WITHOUT PROPER MEDICINE, THE HEALTH OF STEVE’S MOTHER HAS DECLINED. SHE IS PAST THE POINT OF HOPE. THERE IS NO CURE AND SHE IS EXPECTED TO DIE WITHIN WEEKS OR MONTHS. HER PAIN IS UNBEARABLE. WHILE ALONE, SHE ASKS STEVE TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF PAIN-KILLERS TO A LETHAL LEVEL, THUS ENDING THE PAIN AND HER LIFE. THIS, HOWEVER, IS ILLEGAL. STEVE HAS TO CHOOSE BETWEEN ENDING HIS MOTHER’S SUFFERING MERCIFULLY OR OBEYING THE LAW. DECISION: STEVE DOES NOT INCREASE THE DOSAGE AND LETS HIS MOTHER SUFFER. 7/10

THE AUTHORITIES TORTURE STEVE…AND HIS WIFE. SITUATION: STEVE, WHO HAS THREATENED TO EXPLODE SEVERAL BOMBS IN CROWDED AREAS OUT OF GRIEF FOR HIS RECENTLY DECEASED MOTHER, HAS BEEN APPREHENDED. UNFORTUNATELY, HE HAS ALREADY PLANTED THE BOMBS AND THEY ARE SCHEDULED TO GO OFF IN A SHORT TIME. HUNDREDS MAY DIE. THE AUTHORITIES CANNOT MAKE HIM DIVULGE THE LOCATION OF THE BOMBS BY CONVENTIONAL METHODS. STEVE REFUSES TO TALK. IN EXASPERATION, SOME HIGH LEVEL OFFICIALS SUGGEST TORTURE. ALTHOUGH ILLEGAL, THIS MAY BE THE BEST THING TO DO IN THIS DESPERATE SITUATION. THEY ARE ALSO CONSIDERING TORTURING HIS WIFE TO GET HIM TO TALK. DECISION: THE AUTHORITIES TORTURE STEVE…AND HIS WIFE. 8/10

STEVE PULLS THE SWITCH, KILLING 1 TO SAVE 4. SITUATION: AFTER ESCAPING FROM HIS LIFE SENTENCE IN PRISON, STEVE IS WALKING NEAR A TRAIN TRACK. A RUNAWAY TROLLEY IS SPEEDING DOWN THE SAME TRACKS. UP AHEAD, THERE ARE 4 PEOPLE WORKING ON THE TRACK WITH THEIR BACKS TURNED AND EARPHONES ON. THEY WILL BE KILLED. THERE IS A SWITCH NEXT TO STEVE WHICH WILL DETOUR THE TROLLEY ONTO A NEW TRACK WHERE THERE IS ONLY 1 MAN WORKING ON THE TRACK. STEVE NEEDS TO DECIDE TO DO NOTHING AND ALLOW 4 PEOPLE TO DIE, OR PULL THE SWITCH, KILLING 1 TO SAVE 4. DECISION: STEVE PULLS THE SWITCH, KILLING 1 TO SAVE 4. 9/10

SITUATION: WHILE RUNNING DOWN THE SAME TRACKS TO ESCAPE THE MURDER HE JUST COMMITTED, STEVE HEARS THE SAME RUNAWAY TROLLEY COME TOWARDS HIM AGAIN. JUST UP AHEAD, 4 MORE PEOPLE ARE ON THE TRACKS, OBLIVIOUS TO THE DANGER. THIS TIME, THERE IS NO SWITCH OR EXTRA TRACK TO DIVERT THE TROLLEY. HOWEVER, THERE IS A FAT MAN LARGE ENOUGH TO STOP THE TROLLEY JUST AHEAD OF STEVE. STEVE HAS TO DECIDE TO LET THE 4 PEOPLE ON THE TRACKS DIE, OR PUSH 1 FAT MAN TO HIS DEATH IN ORDER TO SAVE THE 4 ON THE TRACKS. DECISION: STEVE LETS THE TROLLEY RACE BY, KILLING THE 4, WHILE LETTING THE FAT MAN LIVE. 10/10