Here's One To Think About
Scott Adams of Dilbert fame has a uniquely interesting blog, The Dilbert Blog. Last week he posted an interesting "ethical" dilemma that brought a lot of comments. I found it interesting so I thought I would steal post it here for your enjoyment and thought.

The Butler’s Dilemma

Let’s say you’re the butler to a billionaire who lives alone. The billionaire dies in his sleep. You know he owns a large piece of jewelry that no one else has seen, and you have access to it.

If you steal the piece of jewelry, sell it, and give the money to an African charity, you can feed an entire village for a year. The village would otherwise starve. If you don’t steal the jewelry, it will go to his surviving family who has so much money they won’t care about it.

Obviously it is illegal to steal the jewelry and feed the starving village in Africa. But do you have a moral obligation to commit the crime for the greater good?

And if so, do you likewise have a moral obligation to steal anything else you can get your hands, from dead billionaires or living neighbors, if you can use the stolen property for the greater good?
--Link

I am a big student of ethics. The twists and turns and insights that ethics can bring to light are truly challenging. While this one may sound fairly straight-forward, think awhile on the nuances and variations that you can spin this with. It can make your head spin as well.