Kuok On Ho, USJ Student
As an interruption by a sound broke the peaceful atmosphere, it pulled my gaze back from the scenery outside the bus window.
“Miss, may I kindly ask you to give up your seat and move to another vacant one?” An elderly person, accompanied by a young girl, politely requested while pointing to an empty seat nearby. There were two empty seats in the back of the bus, unfortunately, they were separated, but if the lady was willing to follow the elderly person’s instructions, there would be two empty seats together. The lady remained silent for a moment, then changed her seat. The elderly person had a satisfied smile on his face, but I could see the confusion on the young girl’s face and hear the lady’s sigh.
As a Philosophy student, I can’t help but ponder. If we set aside societal norms and laws, what basis does the elderly person’s request have?
Removing the decorative wording that can easily mislead thoughts in response to the request, is a demand per se that is not expecting rejection. People’s decision to give up their seats is generally influenced by their friendly attitude and manners. There is no causal relationship between politeness and giving up a seat. Politeness does not guarantee that a request will necessarily be granted.
All three of them have paid the same fare. The elderly person hasn’t paid more than the others, and therefore, he doesn’t inherently have the privilege of choosing a particular seat. So, the ownership of the seat is determined by who gets there first. From the perspective of equal opportunity, regardless of age or gender, everyone has the right to start from the same point. Since the lady took the seat first, the elderly person should respect this principle.
Similarly, utilitarianism, which is a theory of morality that pursues the overall happiness of society, has an interesting perspective in this scenario, that if the lady were unwilling to give up her seat, it would harm the happiness of everyone involved because she would lose her seat, the elderly person wouldn’t get a seat, and other passengers would be forced to endure the aftermath of their dispute.
Personal autonomy is a notion from a German philosopher in the 18th century named Immanuel Kant, which states that a person has a moral right to make decisions without interference from others, through reflection and independent thought. Unfortunately, the reality is complex where onlookers might cause external pressure by sight and filming, and hopefully people can give them a little more space. I believe everyone will be satisfied and respected if the decision is made with thoughtful consideration in the end.
I hope these unusual perspectives on this scenario can broaden the readers’ critical thinking. Like Einstein said: “The important thing is not to stop questioning; never lose a holy curiosity.”
Photo courtesy by Unsplash
