Am I wrong in assuming this question was a result of the way this thread is going? If so, it seems you were arguing that unless we were able to determine every possible outcome and variable, we would not be able to determine whether an action is right or wrong. Let me run with your scenario for a moment…
Ok, so I kill my kid and save the scientist who apparently has the cure for every disease. Great, right? Hmmm..I’ll ignore the killing of my kid for a minute and play out the rest. So, the guy has the cure. How does this cure play out? Does the magic drug require the mass harvesting of a plant that only grows in Bolivia, requiring the displacement and cultural destruction of whole populations by mercenary armies/drug companies? Or is it something simple, like a way to convert a single drop of water into a cure for everything. Listen, we’re talking fantasy here, so I suppose I can’t leave anything out of the discussion. Ok, so we are able to cheaply make this cure and distribute it to every corner of the planet. What impact does that have on life expectancy? How long can certain areas of the world sustain their way of living with exponential population growth? How long can the planet? What level of suffering will be generated by curing all diseases? Will it mean the end of humanity?
There are so many ridiculous “what ifs” that I could go on all day. What about all of the horrific monsters that we will be curing from their diseases, etc.
I’ll stop now, but I’m curious – am I taking this in the wrong direction, or is this what you had in mind?