Would you send a bad person to solitary confinement?

[minacia]

The magical girl of various thought experiments approaches you and gives you a remote with a button.

She explains that if you push this button, you would get $100,000 USD.

Simultaneously, it would condemn a potentially "bad person" to lifetime imprisonment in solitary confinement.

When you ask her what she means by a "potentially", she explains that there's a 70% likelihood that the person committed a "bad" crime and a 30% likelihood they've committed no crime whatsoever. The magical girl explains that the moral rules used to determine "bad-ness" reflects your own personal moral system. The identity of this "bad person" would be perfectly random, and you will never know exactly who you sent to jail. She promises that on average, you would be sending a "very bad" person to jail, but she does acknowledge that there is a 30% chance that innocent people could also be affected.

She clarifies that there are absolutely no downsides for you regardless of whether you push the button or not.

Would you push the button? Why or why not?

 

[Deleted member 120990]

Yes, there's a 70 percent chance Envylope goes there. I like those odds.

 

[Empress_Omnii]

I would not feel good about pushing it, that is a very high false positive rate... but I would still do it.

 

[Spacerunner357]

I would want to Try to change the Person for the Better with out doing something so Hidioussorry.
Also Have a Good day everyone

 

[LuoirM]

No, I believe in forgiveness way too much. Even if they're pedophiles of rapist, or pedophile rapist.

 

[Alski]

The identity of this "bad person" would be perfectly random, and you will never know exactly who you sent to jail. She promises that on average, you would be sending a "very bad" person to jail, but she does acknowledge that there is a 30% chance that innocent people could also be affected.

I like those odds. "Mashes button"

 

[Plantorsomething]

The magical girl of various thought experiments approaches you and gives you a remote with a button.

She explains that if you push this button, you would get $100,000 USD.

Simultaneously, it would condemn a potentially "bad person" to lifetime imprisonment in solitary confinement.

When you ask her what she means by a "potentially", she explains that there's a 70% likelihood that the person committed a "bad" crime and a 30% likelihood they've committed no crime whatsoever. The magical girl explains that the moral rules used to determine "bad-ness" reflects your own personal moral system. The identity of this "bad person" would be perfectly random, and you will never know exactly who you sent to jail. She promises that on average, you would be sending a "very bad" person to jail, but she does acknowledge that there is a 30% chance that innocent people could also be affected.

She clarifies that there are absolutely no downsides for you regardless of whether you push the button or not.

Would you push the button? Why or why not?

100k for torture? Fuc no, do you know what that shit does to people? Besides, I don’t know what “degree” of bad person, it could be the annoying kid at my old school. And even if they’re a monster I’d rather they be just be out of the way of potential victims or rehabilitated. The 30% of a good guy just makes it even worse.

 

[ShrimpShady]

I'd do it and then I'd write a blog post about prison abolition to soothe myself.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

How many times can I push it?

 

[ConansWitchBaby]

I'm cheap, greedy and love chaos. I wouldn't push it. $100,000 isn't enough to convince me to do something of this magnitude. I will however milk the ever living hell out of it so people can see me as a champion of paragon. Charge everyone money for interviews on how I'm better than them.

 

[Racosharko]

Yes, because of this clause

the moral rules used to determine "bad-ness" reflects your own personal moral system.

will press about 10 times.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Yes.

 

[NotaNuffian]

Yes.

Money.

 

[Mandark]

No, I believe in forgiveness way too much. Even if they're pedophiles of rapist, or pedophile rapist.

I would press the button if I could send this person to solitary confinement

 

[Daydreamers]

I hope who said yes ended up sending their mom or someone they actually care about

 

[minacia]

Yes, because of this clause

will press about 10 times.

I thought you were the type of person to say no

 

[Racosharko]

I thought you were the type of person to say no

I thought so too...
But then I really thought about it, about what my moral compass is. And if the 30% sacrifice is worth it...

 

[LuoirM]

I would press the button if I could send this person to solitary confinement

Haha, a lot of people would.

One of my friends said I'm a "centrist" because I told her she's stupid for caring about wars

 

[3guanoff]

There is a downside. The vestiges of my conscience may remember that they exist. I would prefer it if there were no money involved.
However, in the end, I have never been a great person. If I can send seventy very bad people to jail, I will not mind if the other thirty travel back in time to torture me to death for what I did. Pressing that button a hundred times it is.

I hope who said yes ended up sending their mom or someone they actually care about

Perhaps they are willing to endure such pain because everyone they cared about already fell at the hands of such people. Or fighting against their lackeys. Even a coward can press a button.

 

[Prince_Azmiran_Myrian]

Everyone who pushes the button gets sent there.