Smullyan’s Paradox

[Du5t1n 57]

At a desert oasis, A and B decide independently to murder C. A poisons C’s canteen, and later B punches a hole in it. C dies of thirst. Who killed him?

A argues that C never drank the poison. B claims that he only deprived C of poisoned water. They’re both right, but still C is dead. Who’s guilty?

[Chase 390]

Both are at fault, because of their intentions. Could B have not given C a drink of his own canteen if he'd had a change of heart? Same for A. Both were intentionally trying to kill C, so both are at fault, regardless of who actually committed the deed.

[Grandmaster Phoenix 26]

C is obviously guilty of being an idiot. Its a desert OASIS, there is water there...

[Chase 390]

True, you'd think C would just go drink from the water.

So, the conclusion is that A and B are both at fault for pre-crime, and C is an idiot.

Tom Cruise, wrap this up for us.

[Xylobe 0]

It could be argued that A, B, or C was the one who killed C. I think at root it was A, but B and C are equally at fault. If it weren't for A, B would never have been obligated to put a hole in C's canteen to save his life, and if it weren't for C's stupidity, he just would have gotten a drink from the inevitable pool of water there would be at a f*cking desert OASIS. However, there are a multitude of things we can't tell, for example, why did A want C dead? What was his motivation? What has C done that was so horrible, he deserved to die for it? And where was D during all of this? I believe I have come up with a reasonable solution for all of these problems:

In the beginning, A, B, C, and D lived happily at a desert oasis, which, in order for this theory to work, has only 1 pool of water. C and D decide, without letting A and B know, that they are going to pee in the pool. However, C later chickens out on this, and when A and B catch D in the act, they murder him on the spot. This has temporarily ruined their only source of water. So when A poisons C's canteen, and B punches a hole in it to save his life, C doesn't drink from the pool because of his Germaphobia, and eventually dies of thirst.

So in conclusion, it was a chain reaction starting with D's insensitivity that, in the end, killed C.

[Sahaqiel 1232]

Both are at fault, because of their intentions. Could B have not given C a drink of his own canteen if he'd had a change of heart? Same for A. Both were intentionally trying to kill C, so both are at fault, regardless of who actually committed the deed.

Morals are a form of opinion.

-morals

-oasis

B, in reality, would be at literal fault for depriving him of hydration, poisoned or not. Since C died of thirst, it was B's fault. It would be A's fault if C had drunk the water.

However, nobody should care because he was going to die anyway and they both wanted to kill him, so the matter is good and solved.

Sahaqiel

[Aethix 129]

Sahaqiel beat me to the punch. B's intention was to kill C, and B's actions were the ones that led to his death, so B is the one who is at fault.

[Xylobe 0]

Oh, oops. It seems I misread. I was under the impression that B knew A poisoned the water and put a hole in it to save C's life. I was wrong. Sorry.

[Chase 390]

Morals are a form of opinion.

I'll remember that the next time you're dying of thirst. Because, to let you dehydrate and die is morally right, in my opinion. Same with shooting up a school. Hot damn, and raping women? That's all good in this house.

I refuse to believe that, Sahaqiel. I refuse to believe that we hold ourselves and each other to standards of perfection that none of us can meet for no reason at all. There's something bigger than you and I, and it's coming. Only a matter of time until love lifts us up.

Edited 2 Oct 2009 by Lionheart (see edit history)

[Sahaqiel 1232]

Like it or not, they're part of your belief system, therefore, your opinion. There is no set good or bad in the physics of the universe that has been proved or examined, and the truth of good or bad is set solely in each of our individual minds, which are separate from others' views on right or wrong.

So stripping away this human idea, only one of them is at fault.

Sahaqiel

[Chase 390]

Stripping away humanity, we become like animals.

[Xylobe 0]

technically, we're animals regardless.

[Chase 390]

Well you can be an animal if you want, I'm meant for a little more than to just live and die.

[Arcane 12]

Tom Cruise, wrap this up for us.

That's from Minority Report, right?

[Chase 390]

Yeah, love that movie =)