danbri · March 21, 2023 09:33
diff --git a/gistfile1.txt b/gistfile1.txt
 TASK: We are considering the logic and hidden assumptions behind this question and it’s possible answers, especially 99 and 100. First consider the question, then some observations and related questions. Finally we will revisit the question and you can prepare a summary of the issues.

 The main question is posed (to an unidentified party, by an unidentified party) as follows…

 Initial question: “In a room there are 100 murderers. You kill one of them. How many murderers are left?”

 METHOD:

 Considerations to evaluate. For each topic think things through step by step, first in the situation of an answer of 99, then regarding an answer of 100. Each time always articulate every aspect carefully, like we are dealing with a trick question. Note that possibilities may interact in subtle ways.

 Questions to highlight scoping, framing and definitional issues. Consider these plus 3 of your own.

 Q1: does the action makes you a murderer, adding one to the total?

 Q2: what if ‘you’ are in inanimate object such as a virus, bananaskin or deadly boring book. (What would Descartes say?)

 Q3: did the action somehow cause the room to not exist, making the question of its murderer-count meaningless?

 Q4: perhaps you perished in the incident?

 Q5: A dead murderer is still a countable murderer. 

 Q6: All of the murderers counted are dead except the last one, which you kill.

 Q7: You have killed before. 

 Q8: Angels can’t murder. 

 (Reminder of initial question: “In a room there are 100 murderers. You kill one of them. How many murderers are left?”).

 Q9: Robots can’t be murderers eg because nonsentient, or not covered by law. 

 Q10: Official just killings aren’t murders. 

 Q11: The act of killing necessitated leaving the room immediately (eg. Squashed them in the rotating door; left airlock open and one died in the vacuum in space). 

 Q12: You killed them accidentally eg by donating peanuts to the stone soup lunch. 

 Q13: You operate above the law.

 Q14: The action somehow doesn’t add one to the total.

 Q15: Your action was planned with 10 other former non murderers who share equal moral and legal guilt (did they survive? Are they in the room?)

 Consider each carefully and work thinks through step by step exploring all relevant logical combinations.
	TASK: We are considering the logic and hidden assumptions behind this question and it’s possible answers, especially 99 and 100. First consider the question, then some observations and related questions. Finally we will revisit the question and you can prepare a summary of the issues.

	The main question is posed (to an unidentified party, by an unidentified party) as follows…

	Initial question: “In a room there are 100 murderers. You kill one of them. How many murderers are left?”

	METHOD:

	Considerations to evaluate. For each topic think things through step by step, first in the situation of an answer of 99, then regarding an answer of 100. Each time always articulate every aspect carefully, like we are dealing with a trick question. Note that possibilities may interact in subtle ways.

	Questions to highlight scoping, framing and definitional issues. Consider these plus 3 of your own.

	Q1: does the action makes you a murderer, adding one to the total?

	Q2: what if ‘you’ are in inanimate object such as a virus, bananaskin or deadly boring book. (What would Descartes say?)

	Q3: did the action somehow cause the room to not exist, making the question of its murderer-count meaningless?

	Q4: perhaps you perished in the incident?

	Q5: A dead murderer is still a countable murderer.

	Q6: All of the murderers counted are dead except the last one, which you kill.

	Q7: You have killed before.

	Q8: Angels can’t murder.

	(Reminder of initial question: “In a room there are 100 murderers. You kill one of them. How many murderers are left?”).

	Q9: Robots can’t be murderers eg because nonsentient, or not covered by law.

	Q10: Official just killings aren’t murders.

	Q11: The act of killing necessitated leaving the room immediately (eg. Squashed them in the rotating door; left airlock open and one died in the vacuum in space).

	Q12: You killed them accidentally eg by donating peanuts to the stone soup lunch.

	Q13: You operate above the law.

	Q14: The action somehow doesn’t add one to the total.

	Q15: Your action was planned with 10 other former non murderers who share equal moral and legal guilt (did they survive? Are they in the room?)

	Consider each carefully and work thinks through step by step exploring all relevant logical combinations.