Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

Sure, it's the law, screw ethics, that's how it works, right?



It's an ethical framework formed over hundreds of years (Aviation built its ethics on top of maritime experience), that if the captains throws you out (resulting in death), at worst there will be inquiry at next port that will decide if they should be charged. Of course these days we have a lot more ready-made actions and much more robust legal system, but that's the bedrock ethics of crew responsibilities - and the range of actions they can take in pursuit of fulfilling them.

If a change of weather results in weight and balance no longer be correct for safe flight, booting off passengers in order of "who loses first on oversold flight" is probably the least problematic way possible.


Law is informed by ethics. If you are locked together in a metal tube that might be flying with a bunch of people it's ethical to postpone raising your issues till you are out of it. And it's only ethical to let the people who run it to decide where you should be removed from it.


Law and ethics are separate. I think it's unethical for people to starve, but if you don't have money you can't buy food. You can't take away a legal right because it's unethical to retain it




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: