The Fall-Out Shelter Problem: You are a member of a department in Washington D.C., which oversees experimental stations in the outposts of civilization. Suddenly the Third World War breaks out and bombs begin dropping. Places across the globe are being destroyed. People are heading for whatever fallout shelters are available. You receive a desperate call from one of your experimental stations, asking for help. It seems there are fourteen people but there is only enough space, air, food, and water in the fall-out shelter for six people for period of three months - which is how long they estimate they can safely stay down there. They realize that if they must decide among themselves that six should go into the shelter, they are likely to become irrational and begin fighting. So, they have decided to call your department, their superiors, and leave the decision to you. They will abide by your decision. But you must quickly get ready to head down to your own fall-out shelter. So, all you have time for is to get superficial descriptions of the fourteen people. Then you will have to go to your own shelter. So, you now have a to decide which six of the fourteen will have to be eliminated from the shelter. Before you begin, I want to impress upon your two important considerations. It is entirely possible that the six people you choose to stay in the shelter might be the only six people left to start the human race over again. This choice is, therefore, very important. Try to make the best choice possible. Here is all you know about the ten people:

1) A 16-year-old girl of questionable IQ; a high school drop-out; pregnant.

2) A 35 year- old policeman with a gun (which cannot be taken from him), thrown off the force recently for brutality.

3) A 29-year-old male architect who is gay

4) A woman physician, 36, known to be confirmed racist.

5) A male violinist, 46, who served seven years for pushing narcotics.

6) A former prostitute, female, 39.

7) Clergyman age 55.

8 & 9) A 26-year-old law student and his 25-year-old wife, who spent the last nine months in a mental hospital. They refuse to be separated.)

10) A 10-year-old male, white, Special Ed child who is cognitively limited, good health, enjoys animals.

11& 12) A 33-year-old female, Spanish American, 9^th grade education; cocktail waitress, good health, married at 16, divorced at 18; abandoned as a child, in foster home as a youth, attacked by foster father at 12; ran away from home; returned to shelter until she was 16; and has one child three weeks old named Jean (Jean and mother go together)

13) A 13-year-old female Native American, good health, honor student, very active with broad

14) A 28 African American male, college grad in engineering, currently works as an electronics engineer, good health, enjoys outdoor sports and stereo equipment, grew up in the ghetto.

1. What personal morals and values came into play with your decisions? Did anything stand out to you?

2. Can people change their morals and values? If so, what does it take?

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

This is a challenging ethical dilemma with no clearcut right answer The decision of who to include i... View the full answer