Let Someone Walk To Their Death? 🌇 The Power Is In Your Hands! 💭

---

The Situation I Am Thinking About

Assume that you are strolling around near a mountainous terrain and you see a stranger for the first time. He is extremely concentrated on his phone; he is not aware of his environment at all. You could easily stop him from walking to his impending doom with little cost or risk for you.

Is it unethical to do nothing in this scenario? If you do not help him and stand there, should this be regarded as a criminal offence as you have let somebody die?

Morals and Law

I would say that if you do not actively take steps to help somebody who is walking towards their imminent doom, you should be held morally accountable for that person's death. You will always live with the guilt of not being able to save somebody else's life, as well as keep their family members mentally healthy, as an event like this would indefinitely scar the person's relatives.

Concerning the legal side to this, I believe that we are not lawfully in charge of the wellbeing and security of all individuals we encounter. Our laws usually mirror the moral perspective of our general public. Nonetheless, there are a few laws that people do not support or agree with. Despite the fact that we are not legally accountable for the death, is letting somebody die as bad as committing murder?

The man who is walking towards the 800-metre drop is being negligent of their own safety. We now have to decide, are you responsible for somebody else's negligence? Are you responsible for not stopping somebody else's lack of responsibility?

Regardless of the fact that it is little risk and cost for me to stop you, should I be expected to stop somebody else's negligence? I do not believe that humanity should be held accountable for the actions of everybody that we meet on a day to day basis. We shouldn't be expected to help each and everybody manage their own safety.

Helping the stranger in this situation is definitely the morally right thing to do, but we are not morally obliged to do this. I would definitely try and stop the stranger from accidentally killing themselves, I would try and warn them and if that does not work, be a physical blockade.

Moreover, if you theist, there is a bigger burden on you to help this man as there is an omniscient being watching over you and will punish you for actively avoiding and bringing injustice to the world.

In conclusion, I believe that everybody should help this man and is morally the right thing to do, but I do not believe that we are obliged to help this man and should not be thoroughly punished if we decide not to help.