Philosophy homework help

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Ethical Dilemma #3
 
Answer the following question in an essay format.  Your response should be a page in length, double-spaced, with 1” margins.  Use proper grammar, punctuation, and paragraphing. Failure to comply with these rules will result in a reduction of points.
 
 
Suppose that you and your accomplice Wakefield have managed to steal the Queen’s crown jewels from Buckingham Palace.  You disabled the internal security cameras, but an external surveillance camera captured you both on the grounds, so you were both arrested and locked up in separate interrogation rooms.  All the police have on you now is criminal trespassing, which carries a sentence of a year, but the detective in charge wants to nail you both for the more serious charge of grand theft.  A trial will be expensive, though, and you may manage to get off altogether because you’ll probably hire a big shot defense attorney, so the detective wants to get a confession out of both of you to save time and money and ensure a conviction.  He thus offers you the following deal (which he’ll also offer to Wakefield): If you confess to incriminate Wakefield, you’ll be released on probation, and Wakefield will serve ten years in prison.  If you don’t confess, and Wakefield instead confesses and incriminates you, he’ll be released and you’ll serve ten years in prison.  If you both confess, then you’ll both get five years (cooperation reduces the charge).  And if neither of you confesses, you’ll each get one year for criminal trespassing.
 
Suppose you and Wakefield are both egoists.  What is in your best interest- confess or not?  When Wakefield considers what is in his best interest, what will he do?  Here is a visual aid that summarizes the four possible combinations of choice and their outcomes.
 
Wakefield
 Confess                                               Not Confess
Confess                        5 years each                                        You: probation
Wakefield: 10 years
You
 
Not Confess                 You: 10 years                                      1 year each
Wakefield: probation