Which of these five hypothetical people would you consider the most moral, the least moral, and the most dangerous?
I've been thinking about different approaches people might take toward morality and helping others, and I'm curious how other people would judge the following hypothetical individuals.
Assume all five witness a violent assault or rape occurring. They are all physically capable of calling for help, and none of them are the perpetrator.
Person A
Person A feels little or no compassion toward the victim and may not personally care what happens to them. However, they believe they have a moral duty to help, so they call for help and do what they can within reason because they believe it is the right thing to do.
Person B
Person B does nothing. They do not intervene or call for help because they believe strangers are not their responsibility. They generally care only about their own happiness and well-being. Outside of this, they are peaceful, artistic, law-abiding, healthy, physically attractive, soft-spoken, and often inspire or comfort others through their art and personality, though they do so unintentionally and primarily for their own satisfaction.
Person C
Person C would normally help strangers and even risk their own safety for them. However, in this case, the victim previously caused them significant emotional and physical trauma. Because of this history, Person C refuses to help and believes the victim deserves what is happening.
Person D
Person D personally feels sympathy for the victim and dislikes what is happening. However, they belong to a religious or ideological belief system that teaches they should not assist people outside their group. Because of this belief, they do nothing.
Person E
Person E intervenes and stops the assault. However, rather than using only the force necessary to protect the victim, they brutally kill the attacker because they believe the attacker is evil and beyond redemption. They then care for the victim's injuries, call for medical help, and leave the scene to avoid arrest.
My questions are:
- Which of these people do you consider the most moral?
- Which do you consider the least moral?
- Which would you trust the most?
- Which would you trust the least?
- Which would you consider the most dangerous?
- Which would you most want as a friend, neighbor, or family member?
- Do your answers change if you focus on motivations rather than outcomes?
I'm interested in hearing how people approach this from different philosophical, religious, psychological, or personal perspectives.