What's Your Measure Of Evil?

[Munche]

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In this example, trying to feel better about the decision leads to pointless deaths. There I just stumbled into what is evil in this situation. Some General getting 2 more people killed so he doesn't feel bad is evil.

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I agree with Kerowo. For your last mission, you should bring home as many troops as possible. Also, even though you can't ask for volunteers, you would have additional knowledge which would hopefully allow you to pick the ten best casualties. You may know of 10 troops which would take the mission for whatever reason if given the chance to volunteer. Send them. For example, you know some dream of being remembered for such a mission while others will not want those with children to die during the last mission instead of them. You can use this information to make not only the moral choice based on number killed but also consider the wishes of your soldiers even within this strict scenario.

I agree with PTB that a military program which uses this type of efficient sacrifice is not a good program. However, I believe its not practical, not necessarily evil. In the long run only those that believe in efficient suicide missions would enlist, and overall support for and strength of the military would degrade. However, in this case, it is the proper tactic.

All actions taken by the general may be considered evil. However, if evil exists within all options, option 1 is less evil for this particular mission.

[Siegmund]

It's a bit odd that the 10 men in option 1 can't be randomly selected, but we aren't given any other constraints on it. Taking the wording of the question literally as given, it's a nice opportunity to send the ten least useful (whether that means oldest, dumbest, or whatever else-est) and get some use out of them.

In a more real-world situation, I might have a choice between sending ten of my best men or twenty average men. My choice there is going to depend on the value I attach to the cream of the crop's future contributions if I let them live. (And, yes, I'd send twenty random people to their deaths to save ten Einsteins.)

[oe39]

i'd pick the ten i liked least