1. A man has barricaded himself and his 8-year old child in a concrete bunker.
2. This man possesses a remote detonator in his hand.
3. This man has placed two small incendiary devices just behind the original Constitution of the United States and the original Declaration of Independence, both housed in the National Archives building.
4. The incendiary devices are just large enough to destroy these documents, yet not large enough that the detonation will cause any further damage to persons or property.
5. These devices cannot be disarmed without destroying the documents.
6. The only way to save the documents is to kill the man with the remote detonator.
7. The only way to kill the man with the remote detonator is to fire a missile at the bunker, resulting in both his death and the death of his 8-year old child.
8. The man knows all of these facts, and merely desires to know the answer to the question, "Would Americans kill my 8-year old child simply to defend some parchment they feel is symbolically important?"
So, would forces working for the US be justified in killing this man and his 8-year old child?
2. This man possesses a remote detonator in his hand.
3. This man has placed two small incendiary devices just behind the original Constitution of the United States and the original Declaration of Independence, both housed in the National Archives building.
4. The incendiary devices are just large enough to destroy these documents, yet not large enough that the detonation will cause any further damage to persons or property.
5. These devices cannot be disarmed without destroying the documents.
6. The only way to save the documents is to kill the man with the remote detonator.
7. The only way to kill the man with the remote detonator is to fire a missile at the bunker, resulting in both his death and the death of his 8-year old child.
8. The man knows all of these facts, and merely desires to know the answer to the question, "Would Americans kill my 8-year old child simply to defend some parchment they feel is symbolically important?"
So, would forces working for the US be justified in killing this man and his 8-year old child?