Story

Once upon a time, in the nether-regions that are pocketed around us in parallel dimensions, the great Beavis spoke. Beavis was the guardian of this region and was charged with interjecting souls into our reality when other deities called upon him to do so. A very inquisitive young man, Steward, created a method of dissecting where the Third and Fourth Dimensions were glued together in the space-time continuum by using light, not visible to the human eye, to reveal such dimensions. Steward was successful with this project and once came upon the great Beavis and asked him a series of problems.

Steward first inquired as to how Beavis regulated the physical abilities of the souls, as manifested in our reality, given the numerous amount of variation. Beavis replied, "Well, Stewart, none of the souls know what bodies they are going to. They take strict assurance to create protections for all of them because they would not want to create a disadvantage to then only be placed in a body with such disadvantage. I don't have control over who goes where and the souls have a governing body that creates rules for their physical manifestation. I am only a gate-keeper."

Stewart was further inquisitive. This all seemed very interesting to him! He asked the great Beavis, "Okay- good enough. But why doesn't the souls' governing body eliminate their choice of free will and require all souls to only do the right thing?" Beavis pondered for a moment and replied, "Good problem. Free will was a design that I cannot go against, nor can the governing body. Further, what is 'right' to one person could be wrong to another, or another culture, as our determinations of what is right and wrong is provided pursuant to cultural norms and codified in legal code. The governing body simply encourages the souls, upon leaving this realm, to do what is right, at all times, because it emanates from what is determined, by that soul in their culture, to be universally right."

Steward scratched his head. The great Beavis used too many confusing concepts. He had a final problem for him. "...okay, how do societies then, as a collective of individuals who create culture and norms, decide what is right and wrong?" The great Beavis laughed and replied, "Young man! Your trivial problems mock the common sense of social gathering. It is simple: Societies must determine what is the greatest good for the greatest number of people."

Steward turned off the machine and decided to take a walk to ponder what he had learned. He hears crying and follows the sound...to find a child who has a leg stuck in a massive fire-ant pile. The child is in his swimsuit and he is saying that the ants are eating him alive and that he is allergic to them.

problems

1. What would Rawls say about the information that the great Beavis told Steward? Why?
2. What would Bentham say about the information that the great Beavis told Steward? Why?
3. What would Kant say about the information that the great Beavis told Steward? Why?
4. Is Steward legally required to render aid to the child? What laws support your position? A quick Google search should provide you a clear answer.

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