There is an old philosophical paradox. Suppose a donkey is equidistant between two piles of hay of equal size and freshness. How can the donkey choose which to eat? The philosopher would argue the donkey must starve, but we know one will be chosen at random to satisfy the want in reality.
Assuming the neighbor's house is a tract home, perhaps identical to yours in floorplan, it might be fairly easy to reach a bedroom and rescue a child even in the chaos of a fire. Even so, it's a matter of who you find first, not some philosophical debate over who has more value.
I can't agree with you more...Sound thinking, logical and spoken by someone who would not have to stand out side pondering which gender is best to save, who might have more value or whatever. Get in, pick up kid and get out. Maybe then take a moment to assess if going back in is viable (which it probably won't be). Boomy mentioned trying to get into a burning apartment in another comment to this post...Says it all really.
Thanks for your comment which is, as always, measured and valuable.
Quite. The viability of even making the attempt would depend on the level of smoke and flames. To state the obvious, fire is dangerous. Making yourself another casualty helps no one. As with so many things from medicine to guns to cars to courthouses, TV really skews the public perception of the possible and practical.
Indeed, I could write a post (and may) about that to be honest; the way people's perception is formed from the rubbish they see on TV and movies. It's laughable really...but is no laughing matter at the same time.
You have a point, a strong one I must say. And the notion about philosophers, it made me 😂
It's easy to laugh at the early philosophers, but their first forays into trying to understand the rules of how the world works laid the groundwork for all of modern mathematics, science and technology. Check out the History of Philosophy (Without Any Gaps) if you want a good overview of the topic. Giraffes are surprisingly relevant for illustrating concepts...
Thank you for the reference.
And the example of giraffe, it's just perfect 🤣