Not to be too OT, I hope: But this type of "exercise" has no place in the regular school system. It gives no right nor wrong answer, and the main thing is for you, yourself to survive. Choosing who dies IS wrong. By not being allowed to come up with a viable solution, it limits the true sense of ethics and morals, imo.

Ethical Dilemma: The Over-Crowded Lifeboat http://www.unsolvedmysteries.com/usm485731.html

This should be fun, yes? OK I took introduction to ethics last semester and we had to think about ethical dilemma every class. The one we altered the most was the overcrowded lifeboat dilemma. I'm always curious as to how other people choose to answer, so I bring it to you. The dilemma:

A boat is sinking and the lifeboat only can seat 20 people, but there are 22 passengers, yourself included. Who gets on the lifeboat and how do you choose? Who should be sacrificed? Should the Captain always go down with the ship?

Now, before you start to reply, take this into account. The water is too cold for someone to 'hang onto the side'. A person needs to be out of the water and drying off without being re-submerged to survive. Plus, hanging onto the side while rowing to some destination wouldn't work either. One cannot swim to shore, they would die before they made it halfway. Nor could you fit more than 20 people in the lifeboat or it will sink. No ifs, ands, or buts. Those are just the facts and you cannot question them or you miss the point of the exercise.

the point in ethical dilemma exercises is to decide based on the choices you have. You cannot make up other possible choices, they do not exist and nothing else is possible. They are designed so that you are forced to challenge your morals and make a decision on "what would you do."

Now, give your answer.

[b] The above was created as an ETHICAL situation. The options are limited by the author. Forcing people to play God only reinforces their selfishness and gives them a sense of power they do not have, nor deserve.