Question

Consider this argument: "the kidnappers have taken eight people hostage and are holding them at a farmhouse just outside town. if the swat team assaults the farmhouse, the hostages could be killed. but if we give into the kidnappers' demands for ransom and safe passage out of the country, we'll only be encouraging more kidnappings of innocent people. what can we do?" that argument is an example of ________.

Answer 1

The argument described is an example of a prisoner's dilemma in game theory, reflecting ethical choices and the fallacy of false dichotomy, by presenting two extreme and mutually exclusive options.

Step-by-step explanation:

The argument presented involves a difficult choice between potentially dangerous outcomes. This situation exemplifies a classic case of a prisoner's dilemma, a concept from game theory. In such dilemmas, the risk of cooperative behavior versus self-interested behavior is brought to the forefront, creating a scenario where despite the benefit of cooperation, the players may choose to act in their own self-interest to avoid possible worse outcomes. This reflects the nature of the argument, which deliberates between the risk of losing hostages in a SWAT assault and the potential encouragement of future kidnappings if demands are met. The argument also touches upon ethical considerations associated with actions and their consequences, as well as the fallacy of false dichotomy, by seeming to present only two extreme options without considering potentially available alternatives.

Answer 2

The kidnappers have taken and holding eight people hostage at a farmhouse just outside town. If the Swat team assaults the farmhouse, hostages will be killed. If they give into the kidnappers' demands for ransom, hostages will be safe but the tactic will encourage more kidnappings of innocent people.The argument is an example of compromise. Compromise is a negotiation process in which both parties (Swat team and kidnappers) give up something in order to get something else which they want more. It occurs in win-lose situations – like in the example that there are hostages taken in. Each of the parties makes concessions in order to reach an agreement that is agreeable to both.