[quote]You may as well say "As is assuming the right choice is automatically right."[/quote] No, [i]you[/i] assume rational = correct. You are wrong. Rationality conforms to one's beliefs. For instance, you're rationalizing your opinion as being 'correct' because the human might have people that would miss them. [quote]The person likely has a large web of people who care deeply about him and will suffer deeply from their death[/quote] You say this as though it's somehow relevant. The question is, 'would you save your pet, or a complete stranger?' Their family was never a factor. You threw it in yourself so you could [i]rationalize[/i] your belief that the human was more worthy of saving. If you were standing there, watching both drown, you wouldn't be thinking of that person's family, you'd be thinking of the beloved pet that's drowning right in front of you. The human mind does not stop to think about irrelevant details when [i]shit's happening [b]right now[/b][/i] and you need to deal with it. [quote]You're confusing sensible with selfish. It makes sense to save the one that will result in less pain and suffering overall.[/quote] You're confusing an emotional inquiry with a pragmatic one. It doesn't matter which one would be more 'rational' (to you) to save. Odds are you'd head for your pet first if you saw them drowning. That's how the human mind works. That's how it's [i]supposed[/i] to work. [quote]You're calling me out because, unlike you, I'm actually considering all the variables[/quote] Variables that were [i]never relevant and never factored into the initial question[/i]. The question was, 'who would you save?' OP never mentioned their family, or friends, or if they'd benefit society. It's merely your pet's life balanced against a human life. Just you, the pet, and the human. Anything else is a nonfactor. [quote]You do realize that if a similar situation were to actually arise, these are variables you would need to consider too?[/quote] I sure as hell wouldn't be able to stop and consider them when two living beings are drowning right in front of me. If I can only save one, I'll save the one that has more importance to me. It's unfortunate that the other guy dies, but there's nothing I can do about it by that point.

[quote]No, [i]you[/i] assume rational = correct. You are wrong. Rationality conforms to one's beliefs. For instance, you're rationalizing your opinion as being 'correct' because the human might have people that would miss them.[/quote]You're confusing rationality (the degree to which something is rational) with rationalizing (the attempt to make sense of your choices and actions). Rationality = logic. Either something makes sense, [i]consistently[/i], or it doesn't. If you really want to keep arguing against this, you're going to need to provide specific examples of how logic is inferior to illogic. [quote]You say this as though it's somehow relevant. The question is, 'would you save your pet, or a complete stranger?' Their family was never a factor. You threw it in yourself so you could [i]rationalize[/i] your belief that the human was more worthy of saving.[/quote]Again your line of thinking is incomplete. If you save your dog, you are already admitting there are outside parties you are trying to protect -- namely, yourself. Notice how the question is not "Who would you feel better saving" or "Who do your instincts tell you to save"? It can be answered in two ways, either by what choice is in your self-interest or what choice is ethical. I'm discussing the latter, but you seem determined to change over to the former. [quote]If you were standing there, watching both drown, you wouldn't be thinking of that person's family, you'd be thinking of the beloved pet that's drowning right in front of you. The human mind does not stop to think about irrelevant details when [i]shit's happening [b]right now[/b][/i] and you need to deal with it.[/quote]No, [i]your[/i] mind doesn't stop to think about the details. If you read this thread you will see that many people opt to save the stranger, so stop making false assertions to try and strengthen your argument. And, again, that isn't the point. We aren't discussing what the [i]intuitive[/i] choice is, we're discussing the [i]ethical[/i] choice. Thought experiment, not Instinct experiment. Keep this in mind when you reply.

[quote]You're confusing rationality (the degree to which something is rational) with rationalizing (the attempt to make sense of your choices and actions).[/quote] You've been doing the latter this whole time, though. Trying to make sense of your decision on the basis of how much worth one has over another. [quote]If you save your dog, you are already admitting there are outside parties you are trying to protect -- namely, yourself[/quote] ...No, I'm not an outside party. I'm one of the three individuals factored into the question. Me, the pet, and the person. Anything other than those three is irrelevant. [quote]Notice how the question is not "Who would you feel better saving" or "Who do your instincts tell you to save"? It can be answered in two ways, either by what choice is in your self-interest or what choice is ethical. I'm discussing the latter, but you seem determined to change over to the former.[/quote] The question was not 'who do you think it would be more ethical to save' either. If it's a choice between my pet and some guy I've never met, I'll always save my pet, because it's human nature to place loved ones before strangers. [quote]No, your mind doesn't stop to think about the details[/quote] If I did stop and consider every detail, they'd both die. [quote]If you read this thread you will see that many people opt to save the stranger[/quote] And yet more seem to want to save their pet. That is, they'd take the human response. [quote]so stop making false assertions to try and strengthen your argument.[/quote] It's not a false assertion, though, it's basic psychology. Loved ones are ranked higher than strangers. The human mind operates on instinct in high-stress situations, such as when you're seeing things drown in front of you, so you'd likely choose your pet over a stranger because you hold an emotional connection to your pet. That's just how it is. [quote]And, again, that isn't the point. We aren't discussing what the intuitive choice is, we're discussing the ethical choice.[/quote] Neither, actually. OP merely asked who we'd save, not why we think one is more ethical to save. Most would choose their pet over a stranger because that's just how the human mind works. Case in point, most of the posters in this thread.