1

Reflective Essay

Victoria Sansone

Frostburg State University School of Nursing

NURS 405 – 704: Ethics in Contemporary Nursing

Professor Jaime Striplin

October 12, 2021

2

Reflective Essay

Completing the individual assignments and the group assignments for the plane crash and

meteor strike activities were very different experiences. We were assigned two assignments to

complete first individually. One determining the specific order of valuableness of equipment

salvaged on a plane crash. The second was determining which individuals on space flight after a

meteor strike that decimated the Earth should be saved to repopulate the Earth. Then we were

assigned to meet with two other classmates as an “ethics committee” to compare our lists and

somehow combine our lists into one final list. We were asked to use what we learned from

reading about situational ethics and other relevant ethical theories and principles along with

researching the individual items in determining an order or ranking for each assignment. The

results of the two assignments for myself and my groupmates were very interesting. Working

independently although challenging as the task involved making judgments about usefulness,

morality, and ethics was much easier than working in a group with individuals with whom I was

unfamiliar. In the end, our group worked well to achieve our goal of combining and presenting

two concise lists.

When completing the independent assignment of ranking the plane crash

equipment in order of usefulness, as noted in my personal Ethical Lens Inventory, I tend to use

my reasoning skills (rationality) along with my intuition (sensibility) to make decisions, and in

this case, I did so to determine the best order. We were advised that we could use the Internet to

source out the use of individual equipment, but I chose to just think about what I knew

personally about an item to rationalize its usefulness. The goal would be for the individuals in

the plane crash group to survive using these items. It took me several attempts over a few days

to end up with an order that I believed would benefit the plane crash victims. The process
3

reminded me of taking a nursing school exam where all the answers are correct, but where I had

to choose the “best” answer. I felt that there was no exact science to the process, that it would be

only based on an individual’s own bias and experience. (See Appendix A)

For the meteor strike people survival assignment, again I used my reasoning skills to

select the six individuals that should be saved to survive on the space station and be held

responsible for repopulating the Earth. For this activity, I was able to complete it in about two

hours and I was very happy in doing so with total autonomy, which is another ELI preference of

mine. I utilized the theory of Utilitarian Ethics to help make my selections. This theory provides

that the usefulness of someone or something can be justified by their benefit to the group.

(Pozgar, 2020, p.7). For my choices, I selected three women and three men, as I reasoned that it

would be best to have as many options as possible of potent males and fertile women. I selected

the six based on three criteria in this order: first, their age, second, their role on the space station,

and third, their varied nationalities. They are all young and can have years to repopulate. They

also had very important roles beneficial to keep the space station operational and knowledge that

would translate to other usefulness back on Earth. Further, I believed it was important to have a

hybrid of diverse nationalities represented back on Earth. (See Appendix B)

Completing the same two assignments as an ethics team project had a different

perspective. Since we met over a Webex meeting as basically three total strangers with our

professor listening along, it naturally was hard to get started working on this project. After a

brief goal-setting introduction by the professor, we decided to start with the equipment scenario

first. We also decided that we would split the documentation duties amongst two of the

members. I volunteered to do the people case and another student agreed to do the equipment

case. For much of the discussion, it seemed like both I and the other documenter did most of the
4

speaking and negotiating initially. We took turns explaining our order of choices for the top

several spots to develop a sense of how far off we were from each other. We quickly realized

that we had most of the same items toward the end of the list and we all had the same first

choice. It was choices two through eight, which is about half of the items, were our struggle.

The other documenter had the strongest outward opinions about the ordering. Although I

believed that I had strong supports for the choices that I had made, I also do not like to argue

with people especially when there would be no major value in doing so. In this case, as the

committee was not dealing with a real person’s life or advocating for a personal loved one’s

health care, which is serious and would warrant my stronger influence. (My older sister and I are

sixteen months apart in age and only one year apart in grade level. However, she was always the

boss and still is the boss several decades later. In school, she was always so opinionated and

directorial that she earned the title F. Lee Baily by one of our high school teachers. So, it

became more of my learned nature to be a good listener and a leader by doing, not dictating. So,

if I believe in something that I am responsible to manage or make decisions, I will strongly state

my opinion, but I am not going to argue and debate, the issue until the other person gives in to

my preferences.)

Our group members listened respectfully to each of the other’s opinions. When it came

to differences, the other person would state their reasoning, sometimes more than once, as to

their support. Maybe if we knew one another better the discussion would have been more

forceful or negotiating. But, as we were all trying to achieve the goal as smartly as possible,

being flexible justified the means of giving in a little. We stressed the use of Utilitarian and

Situation Ethics in our decisions. Situational ethics becomes a huge factor in cases of extreme

circumstances and ultimate death situations whereas actions can be justified based on the end
5

means. (Pozgar, 2020, p. 44) Basically, in less extreme circumstances individuals may not

morally agree with a decision to do something, but if facing death or torture in some way their

standards or values can be changed to meet the situation. Managing the equipment list took us

about thirty-five minutes overall. (See Appendix C)

When we moved on to the meteor strike people survival list we seemed to have an easier

time coming to a consensus. In the beginning I had stated that I had initially considered selecting

four women and two men on the list, but then I ended up doing three women and three men. So,

I was open to having four women. One of the other team members had four women and the

other had an even amount as I did. We were all in agreement with the initial three women to

include on the list, so we did not even have to debate them at all. The third team member had

very good reasoning as to why she chose the fourth woman although she may not be able to help

with the goal of reproduction back on Earth. This fourth female had strong professional abilities

that could justify her selection. With selecting the men, one of them we were in total agreement,

so it was again the third team member who provided strong input to her second male selection

which took several iterative discussions and, in the end, the three of us agreed. This portion of

the assignment went much more quickly, only approximately twenty-five minutes. (See

Appendix D)

Upon finishing both assignments, in an organized manner, we quickly reiterated our goals

with the assignment, when and who would be sending the documents out for review and

completing the final submission. This assignment provided each of us with an opportunity to

work constructively with another. We also used Situational ethics and let our initial strong

opinions go to benefit the greater good of the team. In the end, I believe that out of respect for

each other and the process, and in the best interest of time, each of us gave in and allowed our
6

opinions to be slightly influenced and adjusted. I believed that we were successful in our

decision-making as a team and that we worked well together allowing each person the respect to

asserting their opinions safely.

As a nurse, according to the ANA, Code of Ethics, Provision 1.5, Relationship with

Colleagues and Others, “Respect for persons extends to all individuals with whom the nurse

interacts. Nurses maintain professional, respectful, and caring relationships with colleagues and

are committed to fair treatment, transparency, integrity-preserving compromise, and the best

resolution of conflicts. Nurses function in many roles and settings, including direct care

provider, care coordinator, administrator, educator, policymaker, researcher, and consultant.”

(ANA, 2015, p. 4) This interaction in our “ethics committee” meeting, we were acting under

Provision 1.5 with one another. I would believe in a real ethics committee in the hospital or

business, stricter rules would need to be implemented to ensure that the members would not feel

threatened or bullied for having a specific opinion. There would be subject matter experts with

whom we would access, along with evidence-based practices, which the committee would rely

on to ensure that the decisions were based as much as possible on objective information versus

subjective feelings and thoughts.

The individual and group equipment and people selection assignments were designed to

allow us to implement various concepts of decision-making. Individually I was able to act

autonomously to make decisions based on my preferred ethical lens. While with the group each

of us was able to provide our input, but we also had an opportunity to understand the thoughts of

our peers along with their rationales for their decisions. In the real world, and healthcare

especially when dealing with hard ethical and moral decisions about another person’s life, it
7

would be valuable to have the point of view of others to ensure that the patient is allowed to

achieve their best chance at a healthy life along with the appropriate care.
8

References

American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements.

Washington, DC: Nursebooks.org. - https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-

policy/nursing-excellence/ethics/code-of-ethics-for-nurses/coe-view-only/

Ethical Lens Inventory (ELI) & Topic Based Simulation Combo. (2011).

Pozgar, G.D. (2020). Legal and ethical issues for health professionals (5th ed.). Sudbury, MA:

Jones and Bartlett.

9

Appendix A

Plane Crash Equipment Scenario – Individual Assignment

You and your companions have just survived the crash of a small plane. Both the pilot and
co-pilot were killed in the crash.

It is mid-January, and you are in Northern Canada. The daily temperature is 25 below
zero, and the nighttime temperature is 40 below zero. There is snow on the ground, and the
countryside is wooded with several creeks criss-crossing the area.

The nearest town is 20 miles away. You are all dressed in city clothes appropriate for a
business meeting.

Your group of survivors managed to salvage the following items. Your task as a group is to list
the following 12 items in order of importance for your survival. You must also list the uses for
each.

1. Cigarette lighter (without fluid): The flint from the cigarette lighter will be useful to help
produce sparks to help create a fire. With the severe cold, keeping warm is the highest
importance.
2. Extra shirt and pants for each survivor: Again, maintaining warmth in temperatures below 40
degrees is going to be paramount. Even if someone does not require an additional pair of
pants or shirt, the material could also be used for help starting a fire and signaling torch for
help.
3. A small ax: The ax is going to be useful for many things: cutting down wood for a fire and
building a shelter for the people to stay under for more protection. If there are any animals to
be killed, they could be cut up with the ax for meals.
4. Newspapers (one per person): As keeping warm is paramount, the newspapers can be used to
help ignite the fire with the flint, the steel wool, the whisky, and the Crisco. The ultimate
goal would be to have the wood burning continuously. The newspapers could also be used
for warmth and body cover.
5. A ball of steel wool: The steel wool is also useful for helping make sparks to build a fire for
warmth and signaling for help. It could also be used to tie wood together to build a shelter.
6. Can of Crisco shortening: There are a lot of uses for shortening. It is in a can, so it can has a
shiny end which could be used for signaling for help. The can when empty could be used to
boil drinking water to prevent dehydration. The shortening could be used to help ignite the
fire if spread on the newspaper, clothing, or wood. The shortening could also be used for
skin protection from the cold. Since it is slippery, it could be used to help slide things more
easily.
7. Family-size chocolate bars (one per person): The candy bars will provide a little bit of
energy. Since they are a carbohydrate the benefit of the bars will be not long lasting. But, in
general chocolate helps people think and puts them in a better mood. I am not sure if animals
like the smell of chocolate, but if they do then they could kill one for more food.
8. 20 x 20 ft. piece of heavy-duty canvas: The canvas will be used for weather protection,
shelter, and warmth. It can be used to make a teepee like tent over a branch or ground cover
10

for a good many people. Although, it does not say how many people survived this crash. It
does not say what color it is, but if it is colorful, it would attract attention from above if they
a plane is overhead.
9. One quart of 100-proof whiskey: The whisky has its dangers and its benefits. It can be used
to help ignite a fire and signaling torch. It can be used to clean a wound. But individuals
may be tempted to drink it and it could cause a hypothermic condition for them. Alcohol
makes the blood vessels dilate and then causes rapid heat loss. Drinking the whisky could
also cause descension amongst the group with people being scared and hungry, which is
actually more harmful than helpful. It would probably be more helpful to dump the bottle
and use it to heat snow up for individuals to drink.
10. A loaded .45-caliber pistol: I am sure that most would put this higher on the list. I was going
to put it last on my list as I believe that in a survival situation, I believe that having a gun
may only lead to trouble with hungry and scared people. However, it does have its uses such
as a signaling device to attract attention. Further, if there are animals around the gun could
be used to kill them for food and to protect the group.
11. A compass: This can be used as a directional tool, but I am not sure if considering that the
town is 20 miles away with snow, creeks, and below 40 degree weather that anyone would
survive the trek. The compass may best be used for reflecting light to signal planes passing
over.
12. A sectional air map made of plastic: This could be used to identify areas that may have water.
Further, it could be used as ground protection. I am not sure how useful it would be to help
them plan a way to the town which is 20 miles away with the extreme cold and weather
conditions, they would probably not make it safely.

**Please ensure your name is listed here: Victoria Sansone

11

Appendix B

Meteor Strikes People Survival Worksheet Individual Assignment

Fifteen (15) people are aboard the international space station when a large asteroid strikes the
earth with the force of 1 Trillion tons of TNT. After four days, there are no signs of survivors on
the Earth and all efforts communicate with the planet have failed. There is a large layer of smoke
and dust surrounding the planet and thus, for the time being, there is no way for the attached
space shuttle to return to Earth without guidance and support from the surface. You must assume
that the 15 people described below are the only humans known to be alive.

The problem
There are 15 people on the space station, but if all of them stay on the station, they will run out
of oxygen and food in approximately two months. However, computer projections indicate that
the dust in the Earth’s atmosphere will not be able to be penetrated for at least six months, at
which time it may be possible to navigate a safe return to Earth. Based on the oxygen-producing
capacity of the station, only a crew of 6 people would be able to stay alive for six months.

Your task is to decide, based on the information you have been given, which six people should
be allowed to remain on the space station (and live) and who should be selected to leave. There
is only one shuttle capable of returning to Earth. We will assume that the people selected to leave
the station will do so peacefully. At stake is the survival of humans on Earth. The repopulation of
humans on Earth will begin with the survivors selected.

Carefully evaluate all of the information provided and then decide who will survive and who
must leave. Write down your list of six survivors and nine who must be sacrificed. State your
reasons for your selections.

The people
Michelle is 42, married, and the mother of 17-year-old twins. She is an avid runner and the
daughter of a famous Chinese scientist. She is also a breast cancer survivor and the author of
more than 40 articles in her field of molecular biology.

Caroline is 31 and single. She has no children. She was the co-pilot on the space shuttle that is
docked to the space station. She was one of the first people to receive an experimental laser
treatment to correct severe near sightedness— something she had to do to qualify for the space
program. She is the daughter of a coal miner from West Virginia.

Sumiyo is a 48-year-old physician who came to the space station to carry out medical
experiments on the crew. She is the divorced mother of one 24-year-old son. She is in excellent
health, but her father died from a heart attack when he was 54. She is the first Japanese woman
to serve on the space station.

Natasha, age 27, is the youngest person on the space station. She is divorced and has no children
(though she had one miscarriage when she was 23). She is a computer expert and her primary
12

role is to oversee the technical aspects of the 300 separate experiments that are currently being
conducted on the space station. She is from Moscow.

Addrienne is the first woman from sub-Saharan Africa to voyage to the space station (she is from
Zimbabwe). She is 34 and married. She is the mother of two young boys. She is a botanist,
studying how a variety of plant species respond to micro-gravity.

Alexandra is 51, single, and has no children. She is the Captain of the crew that last arrived on
the space station. She is a veteran of more than 12 shuttle missions and has served as both pilot
and navigator of previous shuttle flights. Her mother is a US Senator and her father, now
deceased, was a World War Two fighter pilot. She is in excellent health and was raised in
Washington DC.

Sergei is 44 and serves as a payload specialist on the crew. He is married and has no children. He
is a former Olympic hockey player from Russia. At 6’ 4” and 220lbs., he is in excellent physical
condition. His father died from the effects of alcoholism, but his mother is still doing well at age
74.

Max is a 32-year-old physician and the divorced father of six children. He is the flight surgeon
for the crew. He is from Australia. He is a serious runner, but hypertension runs on both sides of
his family and he takes medication to control his blood pressure. He also takes medicine to
control his allergies to molds, dust, and pollen.

Hiro is a 41-year-old Japanese businessman and the father of two children. He is the owner of a
vast exporting company and is fulfilling his life-long dream to go into space. Through his
donation of $15 million, he is responsible for funding more than 100 experiments on the space
station. He is slightly over-weight, and with exception of poor vision, he is in generally good
health.

Rahim is the first Iranian to visit the space station. He is 38 and is the most decorated pilot in the
Iranian airforce. He is the father of five children. He was the pilot of the original shuttle to the
space station, and has been on board the station for five months. Though very slender, he is in
good health.

Kerry is 57 and has spent more time in space than any other astronaut. This is his 17th mission.
He is married and has three grown children. He was looking forward to retiring from NASA at
the conclusion of the mission, returning to California, and pursuing his hobbies of gardening and
woodworking. He is also contemplating a post-retirement return to school to become a minister.
He is the highest-ranking member of the crew and serves as the chief administrator of the space
station. He is slightly overweight, but is in generally good health.

Steven is 41 and is from Nigeria. He is single and has no children. He is an exercise physiologist,
a former professional soccer player, and is studying the effects of weightlessness on muscle
density. He has developed a series of exercise machines for the crew and works out for more
than three hours every day. He was adopted as a child and has no information about his
biological parents.
13

Jorge is a 29-year-old astrophysicist from Mexico City. He is the father of one two-year-old
daughter. He is studying deep space quasars using the station’s powerful telescope. He is not
athletic and dislikes exercise, but is in generally good physical condition. He is widely regarded
as one of world’s most brilliant young astronomers.

Dimitri is the 32-year-old son of the president of Greece. His mother is the former Miss
Universe. He is single and has no children. He was a professional model in his early 20s, and
then decided to pursue a career in graphic design. He developed a three-dimensional graphics
program that allows the computers on board the station to map the surfaces of any object with
incredible precision. Other than wearing contact lenses to correct severe myopia, he is in
excellent health.

Angelo is 43 and single. He has no children. He is an Italian cartographer who is working on

developing the most comprehensive map of deep space ever created. He is the son of poor
farmers and grew up raising all of the food he ate. His parents –now in their 70s-- are both still
living on their family farm. He has a slight limp from an accident as a child, but otherwise has no
health problems.

Six Choices and Rationale:

Natasha, age 27. The main reason for Natasha is since the goal will be to repopulate the earth,
she has the most potential being the youngest to reproduce for a long time. Having a miscarriage
early on is not a predictor for further issues. She also has a great deal of knowledge about the
experiments on the flight and that would be helpful in the remaining months especially if they
need any of them to prolong their time in space. Her nationality is Russian so her European
heritage would bring a strong culture to future children.

Adrienne, age 34 is another female of mine. I feel that again being younger in her childbearing
years in important. Also, since it would be good to have a mixture of races, it would be
important to include someone from Zimbabwe. Further, since the biggest challenge the
survivors will facing is breathing both while on the flight and then back on earth, her background
as a botanist will be very important.

Caroline, age 31 my third female pick. Again she is young and of child bearing years, so she
should be able to help reproduce the planet. Further, she is the co-pilot on the space shuttle and
her experience keeping the shuttle in space and then landing it will be invaluable.

Jorge, age 29. Jorge is the youngest male on the flight. He also already has fathered a child, so
we know that the chances are great that he can father more and for many years. He is of
Mexican decent and again that would be desirable to have children of various cultural diversities.
His credentials of one of the most brilliant young astronomers will also be helpful for space
operations moving forward.

Dimitri, age 32. Another younger male in the group with the potential for fathering babies. He
obviously is good looking as a past professional model and that would make him enticing to the
14

women. However, his contribution of the 3D graphic computer program on board will be helpful
for the crew to choose where it would be appropriate in land in the future.

Rahim, age 38 is the oldest of my picks. I choose him as he obviously has the ability to father
children already having five others. Equally important is that he is the pilot of the shuttle to the
space station. Along with Caroline, the co-pilot of the space shuttle they could be the best option
to help the crew get back to Earth.

Ethical Viewpoint/Framework and Rationale from Text Context:

My ethical viewpoint is based on the theory of Utilitarian Ethics, which bases ones worth or
selection on the individual’s overall contribution or benefit to the group. The author contends
that by maximizing utility, that happiness increases and suffering decreases. By using this theory
the moral worth is judged on “doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people”.
(Pozgar, 2020, p. 7).

In light of this theory, my rationale for choosing the six members of the crew to survive is based
on these main goals: the need to stay alive, the ability to get those alive back to Earth, then for
those who survived space to also survive on Earth, and then repopulate Earth. Their usefulness
to the group to achieve these goals is high and therefore the bet moral choice.

Lastly, although I considered selecting four women and only two men for survival. I thought
that it would be enough to only have two men to father children and the more women the faster
the ability to repopulate. But, then I considered the fact that women generally outlive men.
Also, if one of the men was not able to father for some reason that would put a bigger burden on
the group. Finally, that these men all had valuable skills other than fathering children that would
also provide value.

Reference:

Pozgar, G. D. (2020). Legal and ethical issues for health professionals (5th ed.) Burlington,
MA: Jones & Barlett Learning

Name: Victoria Sansone

15

Appendix C

Plane Crash Equipment Scenario – Group Assignment

1. Cigarette lighter (without fluid): The biggest threat to this group of survivors is the freezing
temperatures of Northern Canada. This is why a cigarette lighter is of most importance. A lighter
will help provide a fire for warmth, most importantly, but also smoke for signaling for help.
Though this lighter comes without fluid, the lighter can still produce sparks; sparks coupled with
the right conditions will result in fire, which is why we chose steel wool as our second highest
priority item.

2. A ball of steel wool: Steel wool is made primarily of iron. Iron is highly flammable and will
be very helpful in getting a fire started with the lighter. The ball of wool gives the sparks
something to transmit heat and combust resulting in fire, for both warmth and signaling for help.

3. Extra shirt and pants for each survivor: Extra clothing serves multiple purposes. The most
obvious need for extra clothes is for added warmth to the body. Extra clothes can also be used as
a sling for injury or bandages if injured. It can also be used as reenforcement to keep shelter in
place. Another use of extra shirt and pants is fuel for the fire, if nothing else is available to keep
it going.

4. 20 x 20 ft. piece of heavy-duty canvas: Canvas serves many purposes. The canvas can be used
for shelter from the snow and rain. It can also be used as a shield from wind. Canvas can be used
as a blanket, either for warmth or ground coverage as protection from snow or water. This is a
high priority item after the items that provide warmth because it can be multi-purposed against
the elements.

5. Can of Crisco shortening: Crisco can serve many purposes in the scenario of a plane crash.
The can that the Crisco comes in is most useful as the lid can be used to reflect sunlight and be
used as a signal for help to assist in search parties locating them. It can also contribute to keeping
the fire burning. The can part can be used as a cup to drink water after being boiled over the fire.
The shortening itself can be used as a skin protectant from the below zero temperatures.

6. Family-size chocolate bars (one per person): Chocolate is the only food source that we have
as a resource for energy, thus making it a priority. Every item prioritized ahead of this provided
heat, protection, or shelter. The next biggest priority, to our group, for survival would be
sustenance.

7. A small ax: The ax is important because it can be used to cut wood, which would be a priority
because the fire will need a constant source to continue burning. Likewise, it can be used to cut
trees and branches to form a frame for a shelter or a “floor” to protect from the ground. This
could also be used to hunt and gather any wild life that we encounter in an effort to provide food
for the group.

8. Newspapers (one per person): The newspaper can be used to provide warmth in more than
one way, whether it be used as insulation underneath clothing, as a blanket, or a source to keep
the fire going.
16

9. One quart of 100-proof whiskey: This could be used as an antiseptic if an injury occurs before
help arrives. Whiskey can also be used to accelerate a fire. We would not want to use this as a
source of drink due to the effects it would have on the body like rapid loss of body heat.

10. A loaded .45-caliber pistol: The pistol can be used as a signaling device if a search party is
near. The pistol can also assist in hunting to provide sustenance. The end of the pistol could be
used as a hammer and assist in making shelter.

11. A compass: A compass is helpful if one wanted to trek to the nearest town, though it would
be a dangerous, challenging mission.

12. A sectional air map made of plastic: This item is of the least importance to me because it is
made of plastic, which cannot be used to fuel the fire. The sectional air map provides no use on
ground.

**Please ensure your name is listed here: Jaymi Brenneman, Hannah Brunner, Victoria
Sansone
17

Appendix D

Meteor Strikes People Survival Worksheet Group Assignment

Names: Jaymi Brenneman, Hannah Brunner, Victoria Sansone

Six Choices and Rationale:

Natasha, age 27. The main reason for Natasha is since the goal will be to repopulate the earth,
she has the most potential being the youngest to reproduce for a long time. Having a miscarriage
early on is not a predictor for further issues. She also has a great deal of knowledge about the
experiments on the flight and that would be helpful in the remaining months especially if they
need any of them to prolong their time in space. Her nationality is Russian so her European
heritage would bring a strong culture to future children.

Adrienne, age 34. We felt that again being younger in her childbearing years in important. Also,
since it would be good to have a mixture of races, it would be important to include someone
from Zimbabwe. Further, since the biggest challenge the survivors will facing is breathing both
while on the flight and then back on earth, her background as a botanist will be very important.

Caroline, age 31. She is young and of childbearing years, so she should be able to help reproduce
the planet. Further, she is the co-pilot on the space shuttle and her experience keeping the shuttle
in space and then landing it will be invaluable. She is the only American in the group.

Sumiyo, age 48. She is the oldest woman. However, we decided that she would be useful to
have part of the team being a physician, as she would be able to help the women with their
birthing needs. She has had one son and even though she is older, she still may be able to bear
more children. Lastly, she is Japanese, and this would add to the cultural diversity of the
population.

Rahim, age 38. We choose him as he obviously has the ability to father children already having
five others. Equally important is that he is the pilot of the shuttle to the space station. Along
with Caroline, the co-pilot of the space shuttle they could be the best option to help the crew get
back to Earth. He is Iranian again helpful for diversity.

Angelo, age 43. We chose him as we believed that although he currently had not fathered any
children that he would be able to do so for many years since he did not have any major health
issues. He also has a background in raising crops which will be very important to survival back
on earth. His background as a cartographer will also be helpful in looking at the land and
determining the best way to plan out the rebuilding on Earth. He is from Italy and that would
provide the European influence into the mix.

Ethical Viewpoint/Framework and Rationale from Text Context:

Our rationale for choosing the six members of the crew to survive is based on these main goals:
the need to stay alive, the ability to get those alive back to Earth, then for those who survived
space to also survive on Earth, and then repopulate Earth. Their usefulness to the group to
achieve these goals is high and therefore the best moral choice.