What is cross-border e-commerce? What are the platforms for cross-border e-commerce in foreign trade?

What is cross-border e-commerce? What are the platforms for cross-border e-commerce in foreign trade?

In the e-commerce industry, not only Taobao, Tmall, JD.COM and so on are known to us, but in fact, the e-commerce industry can be divided into two directions: domestic trade e-commerce and foreign trade e-commerce, among which foreign trade e-commerce is also called cross-border e-commerce, while domestic trade e-commerce refers to Tmall, Taobao, JD.COM and so on. This article will mainly focus on "What is cross-border e-commerce? What platforms do cross-border e-commerce have? " To describe it.

The term "cross-border e-commerce" (full name: cross-border electronic commerce) appeared in 2011, which refers to an international business activity in which transactions are concluded by means of e-commerce, online ordering, payment and settlement, and goods are delivered through cross-border logistics, cleared through customs and finally delivered.

In terms of transaction mode, China’s cross-border e-commerce can be divided into business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) trade modes.

Under the B2B mode, enterprises use e-commerce mainly by advertising and information release, and the transaction and customs clearance processes are basically completed offline, which is still a traditional trade in essence and has been included in the general trade statistics of customs. Under the B2C model, Chinese enterprises directly face foreign consumers, mainly selling personal consumer goods, and the logistics mainly adopts air parcels, mail, express delivery, etc. The main body of customs declaration is postal or express delivery companies, and most of them are not included in customs registration at present.

From the perspective of import and export, cross-border e-commerce can be divided into export cross-border e-commerce and import cross-border e-commerce.

1. Amazon (Amazon)

Founded in 1995, Amazon is the originator of the world’s e-commerce industry, with its founder Jeff Bezos (known as "brother-in-law"). At present, Amazon has become the world’s largest online retailer with the largest variety of goods and the second largest Internet company in the world. Amazon and other vendors provide customers with millions of unique new, renovated and second-hand goods, such as books, movies, music and games, digital downloads, electronics and computers, home gardening supplies, toys, baby products, food, clothing, shoes and jewelry, health and personal care products, sports and outdoor products, toys, automobiles and industrial products. If you plan to be a seller of Amazon, you must ensure the quality of the goods and take the products as the king.

2.eBay(Chinese Electronic Bay, Yibei, Yi Bei)

Ebay was founded on September 4, 1995, and was named after Auctionweb by Pierre Omidyar. Ebay is the American version of Taobao. It is an online auction and shopping website that allows people all over the world to buy and sell goods online. People can sell goods online on eBay. At present, eBay has 120 million active users worldwide and more than 400 million products published by individuals or businesses, among which brand-new "one-price" products are the main ones. EBay is not opening the China market now. Compared with Amazon, it is relatively easy to open a store on eBay, but it also needs to provide a lot of relevant information, such as bank transaction records and invoices. And although there is no money to open a shop, there is a separate charge for each item on the shelf. It should be noted that eBay prefers buyers.

3.wish

Wish was established on July 4th, 2010, and belongs to the mobile trading platform. Its main market is customers in Europe and America. Women account for about 80% of the wish platform, and they are between 18 and 30 years old. The reason why people choose wish for shopping is not only the convenience on the mobile phone, but also the overall cheap price. In addition, Wish’s unique browsing and recommendation mechanism ensures the quality and attractiveness of goods. As a friend of wish seller, we must grasp the direction of product selection.

4. GlobalAliExpress (AliExpress)

Established in April 2010, AliExpress is a platform owned by Alibaba, which is called "international Taobao". AliExpress is a foreign trade online trading platform that Alibaba helps small and medium-sized enterprises to contact terminal wholesale retailers, sell quickly in small batches and batches, and expand profit margins. At present, the Russian market is the main market, and the opening conditions are simple and easy to operate, which is suitable for newcomers and self-employed.

5. Dunhuang Net

Founded in 2004, Dunhuang Network is the world’s leading online foreign trade trading platform. Its CEO Wang Shutong is one of the earliest e-commerce actors in China. Dunhuang Network is the first website in China to provide B2B online transactions for small and medium-sized enterprises. It adopts a commission system. From February 20, 2019, new sellers began to charge fees for registration, and only after the successful transaction between buyers and sellers. Dunhuang Network is committed to helping small and medium-sized enterprises in China to enter the global market through the cross-border electronic commerce platform.

6.light in the box

Founded in 2007, LightInTheBox is an online B2C cross-border e-commerce company with technology-driven and big data as the breakthrough point and integrated supply chain ecosystem services. Engaged in the wholesale of electronic products, mechanical equipment, Wujinjiaodian, household appliances, textiles, clothing, daily necessities, arts and crafts, jewelry (excluding gold and loose diamonds), cultural and sports supplies and equipment, building materials (excluding steel) and chemical products (excluding dangerous chemicals); Commission agency (except auction), import and export and related supporting business. Electronic accessories have become the largest category of Lanting, accounting for 39.1%, and the clothing category dominated by wedding dresses accounts for 30.7%, in addition to small accessories, small commodities, home and gardening and other products. Lanting Jishi requires platform sellers to provide enterprise three certificates, business license, tax registration and organization code. Electronic products should provide category safety certification, and brand products should submit brand qualification, trademark registration certificate or brand authorization. Lanting Jishi doesn’t charge the platform seller the platform entry fee or service fee, but it will charge 15% commission and 3% transaction fee.

7.Shopee

Shopee ("Shrimp Skin" for short) was founded in 2015 and belongs to Sea Group. Shopee, headquartered in Singapore, is an e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, China. At present, Shopee shrimp skin can be sold in seven sites in these countries and regions: Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Viet Nam and the Philippines. Among them, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines have opened cross-border seller business. Shopee has a wide range of products, from consumer electronics to home life, beauty, maternal and child, fashion and fitness equipment.

8.Lazada

Lazada (Chinese name "Lai Zanda") was established in 2012 and is one of the largest online shopping websites in Southeast Asia. With the support of SamwerBrothers, a German business incubator, Lazada platform has more than 155,000 sellers, including more than 3,000 brand suppliers and 560 million users. The main target markets are six countries in Southeast Asia, namely, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. Main products: 3C electronics, household goods, toys, fashion clothes, sports equipment, etc. Lazada is called "Amazon in Southeast Asia". The first condition that needs to be met if you want to open a shop in lazada is that the enterprise needs to have a legal business license; Individuals need to use Malaysia’s National Identity Card Number (NRIC).

9.Alibaba.com

"Alibaba International Station" is an export marketing promotion service to help small and medium-sized enterprises expand international trade. Based on the trading platform of Alibaba International Station, the world’s leading inter-enterprise e-commerce website, it shows and promotes suppliers’ enterprises and products to overseas buyers, and then obtains trade opportunities and orders. It is one of the first choice network platforms for export enterprises to expand international trade. To put it simply, Alibaba International Station is mainly engaged in foreign trade, that is, all in English, mainly for export. Which is for the whole world to see. The international station starts with www, and the domestic china starts with Alibaba, which is mainly a Chinese domestic trade station.

10.Newegg

Newegg (newegg, China) was founded in 2001, which is a new generation of professional e-commerce consumer service website based on the famous newegg. Mainly engaged in online sales of 3C products such as computers, consumer electronics and communications. The best-selling categories are automobile supplies, sporting goods and office supplies. It is particularly noteworthy that most consumers are men, but female consumers are also growing rapidly.

11.Souq

Souq.com (the Middle East version of Amazon e-commerce website) was established in 2005, with 6 million users and 10 million unique visitors every month. According to the current situation of the website, Souq has begun to consider expanding other businesses. For example, Souq has established its own logistics system QExpress and payment system PayFort. Moreover, Souq also launched its own brand of tablet computers. Souq.com, Cobone.com and Sukar.com are the three largest local e-commerce websites in the Middle East.

Related recommendations:What are the cross-border e-commerce platforms? Cross-border e-commerce export platform ranking

Watch your back! The key to solving the case is to rob cigarette butts with a knife in the shadow of the corridor

       CCTV News:Recently, in Qingshan District, Baotou City, Inner Mongolia, there have been several vicious cases in which strange men followed lone women late at night and robbed them with knives. The targets chosen by men are single women who walk alone, and the suspects in each robbery are armed with sharp knives. So what are the hidden secrets behind these cases?

       What’s the secret behind the two robberies?

       At eleven o’clock on the evening of March 30th, Ms. Wang returned to her residential area after work in the middle of the night. Just as she entered the corridor of the unit building, a cold sharp knife bypassed behind her and stopped at her neck. A strange man’s voice came from behind and asked her for property. Ms. Wang fiercely resisted, and her head and arms were scratched by the sharp knife held by the suspect. The suspect fled.

Suspect under surveillance

Suspect under surveillance

The suspect fled after committing the crime.

The suspect fled after committing the crime.

       A wave of unrest, another wave. Shortly after this case, another woman reported that she was robbed and almost raped.

       The police found that the two cases occurred less than one kilometer apart. According to the two victims, the perpetrators were carrying a shoulder bag and holding a black dagger in their hands. At the same time, there is a very important clue, that is, the police extracted the cigarette butts of the same brand of cigarettes at two crime scenes. All these signs indicate that these two cases of armed robbery are most likely committed by a suspect.

The dagger when the suspect committed the crime.

The dagger used by the suspect when committing the crime.

The cigarette butt left by the suspect at the scene

The cigarette butt left by the suspect at the scene

       Can the three groups of police officers attack separately and lock the target?

       After a comprehensive analysis of the two cases, considering the social impact and urgency of the case, the task force decided to divide into three groups, and at the same time, it collected and judged the route of the suspect before he arrived at the first crime scene, the trajectory of the suspect from the first crime scene to the second crime scene, and where the suspect went after leaving the second crime scene.

       Because the road monitoring conditions around the first community are not complete, and the time of the incident is late at night, the surrounding businesses have closed, and the first group of police can not get the social monitoring screen at the first time. Therefore, the clue of trying to trace the suspect’s route was interrupted.

       The second group of police analyzed and sorted out several feasible routes from the first crime plot to the second crime plot, and collected the monitoring of all feasible routes for judgment. After more than ten hours of video tracking, the police really found the picture of the suspect leaving the first community and walking to the vicinity of the second community.

The police found the suspect.

The police found the suspect.

       After determining that the suspects in the two cases were the same suspicious man, the third group of police took the second crime scene as the center and collected a large number of surveillance videos to track the way of the suspects after leaving the second community. When the third group of policemen tracked all the way to the vicinity of a university in Qingshan District, four days had passed since the incident.

       Looking around for surveillance, I finally found the suspect.

       Because time was short, and the suspect finally disappeared on a main road, the police decided to change their minds and get the traffic probe on the main road, because the coverage of the traffic probe would be much larger than that of the social probe. Subsequently, the police seized a lot of surveillance around and found no suspects. The police concluded that the suspect probably found a foothold nearby that night.

The police conducted a visit to the nearby area

The police conducted a visit to suspicious areas.

       Hard work pays off, and finally the police saw the suspicious man in the surveillance screen of an Internet cafe. Through the online records of Internet cafes, the police identified the suspect as Liu, a 25-year-old from Haibowan District, Wuhai City, who has no fixed job or residence in Baotou. After the police brought Liu back from Baotou Railway Station, after the trial, Liu confessed to his criminal facts.

       During the interrogation, the suspect Liu also confessed that he also committed another robbery about a week before the incident.

Criminal suspect Liu

Criminal suspect Liu

       After the DNA comparison results came out, the DNA information on the two cigarette butts also pointed to Liu. At present, this series of robbery cases are under further trial.

       News tips

       The targets chosen by criminal suspects are all women who walk alone. Here, we also want to remind female friends once again that when walking alone, we must pay attention to whether there are suspicious people around us and be vigilant. Once you encounter a robbery, you should shout out against it and call for help from people around you to attract attention. Learn to protect yourself and don’t give criminal suspects an opportunity.

Can go to the farthest MPV to replace Maitewei’s new and old changes

In March, 1950, Volkswagen introduced a van-type multi-function vehicle. This Volkswagen van was the first generation T1, the second model in the history of Volkswagen, and the first model was the well-known Beetle. The origin of Volkswagen T1 was in 1964 when Wolfsburg, a Dutch Volkswagen importer, discussed the import of Beetle (Type 1). When visiting the factory, it was attracted by a factory parts transport vehicle made by Volkswagen workers themselves. The Dutch Volkswagen importer was keenly aware that the future of this car would be limitless with a little improvement, so he took out his pen and drew the first sketch which was later named Type 2 in his notebook.

In 1948, the development plan was officially launched. In addition to the ordinary version, we can also choose the Microbus Deluxe (luxury minibus) version with several windows added to the basic version. At the same time, there is a more distinctive Samba version with eight skylights, including a pop-up split windshield, retractable fabric skylights and eight skylights on both sides, which constitute the "23 windows". When it was slightly modified in 1964, it was installed.

Not long ago, at Sotheby’s auction, the 21-window version from 1964 sold for $184,800.

At present, the most common T6 version of Maitewei on the road comes out as an MPV model, but it is still impossible to figure out the buyer’s mind, and it makes an MPV model "out of the loop" with many characteristics, but there must be some reasons for choosing it, such as 18 exploratory versions with rear differential locks, the 5th generation handex central differential of 4motion, which is tough and obviously different from other MPV models, and the matching of the two-color body and the pie wheel hub with the least sense of disobedience is flexible.

After more than 70 years of sales, Maitewei has ushered in the seventh generation of vehicles. Let’s explore whether the T7 version of Maitewei can perfectly connect the preceding with the following.

The appearance is milder.

The T7 Maitewei adopted a penetrating daytime running light, which is more in line with the current design trend. The area ratio of the light group has been reduced, and the lines have become softer. The lower air intake grille adopts a delicate honeycomb mesh shape, and the middle part is penetrated by a solid line, and the license plate frame and the front radar are placed.

In the dark environment, it can be seen that the daytime running lights are not only shining on one plane, but the increase of sci-fi atmosphere is connected with the whole front of the car.

The design of double A-pillars makes me look forward to the crash test results very much, because MPV models have inherent defects in the protection of front passengers. However, although there is transparent glass between the double A-pillars, it is also very curious whether such a large A-pillar will produce a large visual blind spot.

The inherited Founder car side design is still classic. The advantage is that the roof will hardly occupy the space inside the car and make passengers more comfortable visually. There are classic double color matching and solid colors to choose from.

The T7 generation and T1 generation have the same classic color matching.

The design of the air knives on both sides and above the tail is very clever, and the taillights are replaced with a flat design with full spirit, which is more attractive and improves the dynamic effect of the whole tail. Although the car in the picture is not equipped with a small window that can be opened on the sliding door, it is not difficult to find that the second row of windows cannot be lifted. This reservation seems to be stubborn, but it also leaves plenty of room for the reinforcement of the side door to cope with the side collision.

The pure white tail is a little more calm and elegant.

Available in 4973mm and 5173mm models, the wheelbase length of both models is 3124 mm.

Maitewei is equipped with a plug-in hybrid system for the first time. The hybrid version consists of a 1.4-liter TSI engine and an 85kW motor, which can generate a total power of up to 215 HP (160 kW).

The gasoline version has a 1.5-liter TSI turbocharged engine with a maximum of 134 horsepower and a 2.0-liter TSI turbocharged engine with a maximum of 201 horsepower. It is equipped with a seven-speed DSG transmission.

The interior is still flexible and has plenty of space.

The layout of the interior has some T6 generation (cash) shadows, retaining the door panel shape that can completely put the forearm on, and the design of double A-pillars is more obvious in the car. Equipped with a 10.25-inch LCD instrument display screen and a 10-inch central information touch screen, the keyless start configuration was finally assembled on the Maitewei, and the ambient light also appeared as an ornament on the new Maitewei interior.

It adopts three steering wheels with thick flat bottom, which continues the style of Volkswagen family.

The most important second row of MPV models still maintains the following advantages.

1. There is no obvious distinction between the second row and the third row of seats, which avoids worrying about who sits in the third row.

2. The direction of the seat is flexibly switched, which provides great convenience for parents with children. Although having a seat in the opposite direction will lead to motion sickness, it will not affect the good impression brought by the convenient switching.

3. Equipped with a small table, although the classic small round table is cancelled, it still does not affect the attributes of the small table.

4. Open head space and regular storage space, the car remains regular and the head space is abundant.

5. With sufficient interior height and getting on and off steps, you can still "walk" into the car in a unique, chic and enviable way.

The seat can be flexibly combined or disassembled without fear of any equipment needed by big friends and children.

Delta4x4, a German company, converted the new T7 Maitewei into an MPV ready to take passengers on rugged adventures at any time. The company intends to provide these modified parts in the second half of 2022. It can be seen that the rendered vehicle has raised the suspension, changed into powerful off-road tires, expanded thick wheel eyebrows, added a roof rack and a black front bumper, and left a lighting installation position.

summary

Figure: Volkswagen T3

Maitewei is still the unique and inherited Multivan. Although there is no more detailed information about four-wheel drive, we can understand that this T7 still yearns for the heaviest rain, the thickest snow and the bluest sky when we see the operation of Delta4x4 refitting factory. Although the current Maitewei has the ability to travel all over thousands of mountains, it is uncomfortable to ride in the car with super bad roads. I am very much looking forward to the texture of the all-terrain chassis after the change, and I hope that what the change can’t change is the eternal light under the gentle appearance.

Reporting/feedback

Emerging market countries are plagued by US interest rate hikes.

  Last week, many countries announced a new round of interest rate hikes during the year. Among them, the vast number of emerging market countries and developing countries have not yet shaken off the high inflation impact caused by the excessive currency in the United States and Europe, and have been plagued by the capital outflow and debt problems caused by the radical interest rate hike in the United States. It can be said that "the house leaks overnight."

  After the United States announced the interest rate hike again, from Western Europe to South America, from South Asia to Oceania, it became the unanimous decision of all countries to follow up the interest rate hike. On August 2nd, the Reserve Bank of Australia (the central bank) announced that it would raise interest rates for the fourth time this year, raising the benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points to 1.85%, and at the same time raising the interest rate on foreign exchange settlement balance by 50 basis points to 1.75%. On the 3rd, the Central Bank of Brazil announced the fourth interest rate hike this year, raising the benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points to 13.75%. On the 4th, the Bank of England announced that it would raise the benchmark interest rate from 1.25% to 1.75%, which is the sixth time that the Bank of England has raised interest rates since last December. On the 5th, the Bank of India announced the third rate hike this fiscal year (April 2022 to March 2023), raising the benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points to 5.4%.

  The increasing inflationary pressure has become the number one "enemy" of many central banks. According to the data of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in July, at least 75 central banks around the world have raised interest rates since July 2021. Some analysts pointed out that under the background of COVID-19 epidemic, high inflation and weak growth, tightening monetary policy to combat inflation will obviously slow down global economic activities. According to incomplete statistics, the average increase of interest rates in emerging market countries is about twice that in developed economies, which shows that inflation has hit them harder. If the impact of the Fed’s continuous aggressive interest rate hike is superimposed, it means that the capital outflow and debt problems it faces are more serious than those in developed economies.

  Emerging market countries and developing countries are facing a severe capital outflow situation. The US authorities’ aggressive interest rate hike quickly pushed up the US dollar index, and venture capital in emerging market countries took the opportunity to sell assets to accelerate the outflow. On August 3rd, the data released by the International Finance Association (IIF) showed that as of July this year, emerging markets had suffered a net outflow of portfolio funds for five consecutive months, totaling more than $39 billion. This has become the longest record of continuous net outflow of funds from emerging markets since 2005, and it is also consistent with the time line when the Federal Reserve started to raise interest rates in March and continuously tightened it. According to the analysis of relevant persons in IIF, most of the motivation of recent capital flow can be attributed to the US dollar (exchange rate). Moreover, the yield of long-term government bonds in almost all developed economies has risen sharply, which has a significant impact on the preference of funds to avoid risks.

  Capital outflow has aggravated the depreciation of local currencies in emerging market countries, causing a chain reaction. Although some central banks have tried to slow down the depreciation of their currencies, the exchange rates of many currencies against the US dollar, including the euro, Indian Rupee, Chilean peso and Sri Lankan rupee, have all hit record lows this year, as the Federal Reserve has continuously released hawks to raise interest rates and the US dollar has soared. Currency devaluation drives up the price of imported goods, which leads to the expansion of dollar-denominated debt, and causes "by-products" such as foreign exchange shortage, intensified inflation, increased fiscal deficit and political instability and social unrest in relevant countries and regions. In mid-July, the IMF warned that more than 30% of emerging market countries and 60% of low-income countries were already in or close to excessive debt. In response to the crisis, countries and regions concerned adopt austerity policies such as raising interest rates, which will further increase the cost of borrowing, and debt repayment will become a heavy burden, and corporate activities and household consumption may further decline.

  At present, the U.S. economy has fallen into a technical recession, and the Federal Reserve’s tightening of monetary policy shows no signs of turning, which makes the rapid cooling of the U.S. economy and the downward pressure on the global economy more and more clear. Some analysts pointed out that the world economic growth, especially the emerging market countries, is subject to the monetary policy of the United States, showing the characteristics of "starting from the United States and declining because of the United States", which reflects that the United States is only willing to enjoy the "dividend" of the US dollar as the main international currency at present, but is unwilling to bear the corresponding responsibility. This is one of the chronic diseases that need to be corrected urgently in the global economic governance system. (This article Source: Economic Daily Author: Lian Jun)

These movies give the answer to the shocking question of "Qi Pa Shuo"


Special feature of 1905 film network After five years, the sequel and the second part of the prequel series will finally meet the mainland audience this Friday. Can’t you wait to go to the cinema to see if the great director ridley scott is body of work? Don’t worry, please enjoy the following trailer first and feel the explosive tension and extreme panic in the film.

 

Although all kinds of alien eggs, face-hugging insects and chest-broken people are "beautiful" to the extreme,Although the "wrinkled version" of the biochemical man played by "Shark of Law" is so handsome that he has no friends, what makes me hold my breath most is the paragraph at the beginning of the trailer.

 

Karin, the crew member, brought her infected companions back to the Contract, and Farris, who stayed on the ship, put them in the medical warehouse to ensure the safety of the ship. For the life of more than 20 people on the whole ship, whether to sacrifice Karin or not, Farris outside the door is suffering. If you walk into the cinema, you will see that Farris failed to bear the pain of conscience and opened the door, but nearly half of the crew were killed by aliens.

 

Similar choices are common in science fiction films and disaster films, such as the one released not long ago.Do you want to rescue the microbiologist Hugh from the laboratory? Do you watch the engineer played by Ryan Reynolds implode by the alien Mars? In order to prevent the monster from returning to the space station, the commander chooses to sacrifice himself, and the medical officer played by Jake Gyllenhaal chooses to die with it in order to keep the monster away from the earth.

In order to protect most people, should we sacrifice the lives of a few people and control the losses to a minimum?

The iron man in the movie sent the nuclear bomb out of the earth alone for the benefit of all mankind. This great personal heroism is really admirable.But if you’re on the boat full of explosives tied by clowns, can you press that button and trade the life of another criminal for your own life? Similarly, in the first season of "Qi Pa Shuo", the debate on whether to "blow up Jia Ling". Cai Kangyong gave up his sponsor for the first time, because 63 of the 100 spectators chose to sacrifice Jia Ling to save the other 116 people.

Having said that, you may have understood the theme we are going to discuss today, that is, the famous thought experiment — —"tram puzzle" (also known as tram paradox).

 

A madman tied five innocent people to the tram track, and a runaway tram was coming towards them. You can pull the switch and let the tram go to another track, but the madman tied a man to the other track. Considering the above situation, will you pull the switch?

I believe that most people will choose to pull, because if we have to make a choice, it is definitely better to sacrifice one person than five.

 

If we change the situation, the runaway tram rushes towards five innocent people, but there is no switch and no second track. When you pass by the bridge and see this scene, the only way to stop the tram is to push the fat man next to you off the bridge (we don’t discriminate against fat people, blame the philosopher Judith Tom), let him get stuck in the track and stop the tram. If you can do it, use the fat man’s life to save five other people.

In this situation, I believe that most people can’t get off the bridge. It is the same as saving five lives with one life. Why can’t we accept the second situation? What is the difference between it and the first situation?

Is it because in the second situation, Mr. Fat was pushed down by ourselves, while in the first situation, we just pulled the switch and didn’t personally kill the poor man tied to the track?

So if Mr. Fat stands on a trap door and you control his fate through a mechanism similar to a switch, can you easily pull down the switch?

You think the situation we gave is too extreme. If in real life, there must be a solution to kill two birds with one stone. Just like in "The Dark Knight", passengers on both ships didn’t press the button, but there was no explosion.

Indeed, the "tram puzzle" was put forward by the British philosopher Filipa Foote in the 1960s, which was used to explore the dilemma in the field of ethics (also called moral philosophy). Later, it was extended by the American philosopher Judith Tom and appeared in several versions.

But coincidentally, in Los Angeles in 2013, the "tram problem" actually came true. It is incredible that even the numbers are exactly the same:In the face of the runaway tram, Ms. Jones pulled the switch in order to save five lives, but it caused the death of Mr. Farley on another track, so Ms. Jones was sued in court. So do you still think that the "tram problem" is just a thought experiment? Is Ms Jones guilty or innocent?

Let’s go back to the question of "the tram and the fat man". What makes us willing to sacrifice one person to save five people in the first situation, but unwilling to sacrifice Mr. Fat to save those five people in the second situation?

Because when pulling the switch, we didn’t mean to kill that person. He was the result that we had to accept in order to save most people, but Mr. Fat was deliberately pushed off the bridge by us, and he became a tool for us to save people.

This involvesSt. Thomas Aquinas’s "double effect principle" means that while hoping to get good results, it is often impossible to avoid bad results, that is, "collateral damage".For example, bombing the enemy’s military fortress can quickly end the war and avoid the loss of lives on a larger scale, but bombing often comes with the death of innocent civilians around, but this has to be accepted.

The person in the first situation is to save the collateral damage of five lives, but the "double effect principle" does not apply to the second situation, because Mr. Pang’s death is not necessary to accept, and he is regarded as a tool for us to achieve our goals. This kind of instrumentalization of human beings is unacceptable to morality in any case, even if five lives are lost. Because of moral requirements,Bad effects should not be used as a tool to achieve good results..

Why can’t humans be used as tools? This involves two schools of thought in the field of ethics — —"effect theory" and "obligation theory".

Bentham, a utilitarian philosopher.

Effect theory, also known as utilitarianism, is represented by British philosophers Bentham and Mill, who believe thatThe moral value of behavior is only measured by the result of behavior.To put it simply, if an action can maximize the well-being and minimize the harm of the people concerned, it should be done. As most of us hold, the idea that "one death is better than five deaths" comes from the benefit theory.

Although the benefit theory is widely accepted by most people, it cannot be a universal value, because it often means the tyranny of the majority over the minority. For example, in 1884, the "Queen of England v. Dudley and Stephens" shocked the world:

An English cruise ship, Margaret, was shipwrecked, and four crew members escaped to the life raft. After 19 days of suffering without water and food, 18-year-old Parker couldn’t help drinking seawater and became unconscious. The other three crew members took the opportunity to kill him and survived on his blood and meat until the 24th day before being rescued. After returning to England, they were tried for murder.

This kind of cannibalism for survival is definitely unacceptable to morality, so the "deontology" represented by Kant emphasizes that,The moral value of behavior lies not only in its result, but also in the behavior itself.. That is to say, no matter how much goodness can be produced, killing, torture, stealing and other acts are unconditionally wrong, and their value cannot be enhanced through the calculation of costs and benefits. This has safeguarded our human dignity,Prevent our interests or lives from being sacrificed because of the public interest..

Philosopher Kant

The "deontology" has also been implemented in law. For example, the laws of many countries expressly stipulate that evidence obtained by improper means cannot be used as evidence in court. For example, the testimony obtained by extorting a confession by torture, even if it is correct, cannot be used as evidence to convict the defendant.

Therefore, according to the principle of "deontology", the above-mentioned Ms. Jones in Los Angeles, although heroically saved five people, was found guilty by the court, although it was a virtual sentence of three reprieves. Because the judge thinks that Ms. Jones has no right to decide the life and death of others instead of God, and she has no right to deprive Mr. Farley of his right to live.

If this is the case, what should we do in a similar situation, and what is the right and moral way to do it? Should we just stand by and watch?

Let’s consider this situation. Suppose you plan to drown your brother who shares the inheritance with you in the swimming pool, but when you come to his house, you find that he has a sudden heart attack in the swimming pool, so you let him drown slowly.The result is the same as you planned, but obviously you are less condemned legally and morally. Why?Because killing is worse than letting people die, because killing must also include letting people die.

But this does not mean that it is right to let anyone die. In the face of five lives in orbit, our inaction will also receive moral condemnation and legal sanctions. What if it’s yourself or your relatives and friends on the track? Can you really do nothing?

In fact, up to now, the "tram problem" is still unsolved, but this does not mean that this thought experiment is meaningless, because it always reminds us to be alert to "utilitarianism" and always remember that people are the end, not the means, just as Kant said: "No matter when you act, you should not only regard yourself as an end, but also the qualifications of others as human beings, and never use them just as a means."

References:

Thomas cathcart’s Tram Problem

Yves Bossart, If there is no today, will there be yesterday tomorrow? 》

Michael Sandel, Harvard Open Class — — Fairness and Justice "

Wuling Hongguang PLUS price reduction news in Langfang area! 1,200, not to be missed

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The exterior design of Wuling Hongguang PLUS adopts a simple and practical style, and the front part shows a unique recognition. It is equipped with an atmospheric air intake grille, with tough lines to show a sense of strength. Overall, Hongguang PLUS gives the impression of being stable and dynamic, meeting the diverse needs of business and home users.

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Wuling Hongguang PLUS shows a unique side line with a solid body ratio. Its size design of 4720mm long, 1840mm wide and 1810mm high gives it a spacious interior space. The 2800mm wheelbase ensures good ride comfort, and the front and rear wheelbases are 1606mm, ensuring the stability of the vehicle. The tire specification is 205/65 R16, with the classic wheel rim design, which is both practical and beautiful, adding a sense of stability and strength to the overall shape.

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The interior design of Wuling Hongguang PLUS focuses on practicality and simplicity. The steering wheel is made of plastic material, providing manual up and down adjustment function to ensure the comfortable control of the driver. The center console is equipped with a simple multimedia system and supports USB interface, which is convenient for the driver to connect to electronic devices. There is a USB interface in the front row to meet daily needs. The seat material is made of fabric, and the seat has rich functions, including front and rear adjustment and backrest adjustment, providing passengers with a good riding experience. At the same time, the rear seats support the overall reclining, which enhances the flexibility and practicality of the space. The overall interior design focuses on functionality and cost-effectiveness, which is in line with the pragmatic style of the Wuling brand.

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On the Wuling Hongguang PLUS, we are equipped with a 1.5T turbocharged engine, which can output a powerful 147 horsepower and a maximum torque of 250 N. m. This engine, with its excellent performance and a 6-speed manual transmission, provides the vehicle with abundant power and a smooth driving experience.

In the praise of Autohome owners, we can feel the unique charm of Wuling Hongguang PLUS. The appearance design he mentioned is not only atmospheric and high-grade, but also the square shape and sharp headlights on the front face reflect the fashion and domineering style of this model. This evaluation undoubtedly further confirms that Wuling Hongguang PLUS, as a car that can withstand critical eyes, is the favorite choice of many consumers.

China has achieved the goal of driving 300 million people to the ice and snow. At present, the events of the Winter Olympics are running smoothly.

CCTV News:Today (February 6), the second regular press conference of the Games-time phase was held in the main media center of Beijing Winter Olympics. Relevant officials of the International Olympic Committee and the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee answered questions from Chinese and foreign journalists.

General Desk reporter Zhai Zhuang:I’m a reporter from CCTV, and I’d like to ask the spokesman, Mr. Zhao Weidong. At the beginning of China’s bid for the Winter Olympics, he made a solemn commitment to the international community to drive 300 million people to participate in the ice and snow sports. Some media have questioned that the popularity of ice and snow sports in China is low, the mass base is poor, and few people pay attention to the Winter Olympics. So, what is the popularity of ice and snow sports in China? Thank you.

Zhao Weidong, spokesman of BOCOG:Thank you for your question. It’s a very good question. Since the successful bid for the Winter Olympics in China, it can be said that its popularity has been accelerated, and we vigorously promote the ice and snow sports. At present, there are 654 standard ice rinks and 803 ski resorts in China from north to south. This figure is 317% and 41% higher than when bidding for the Winter Olympics in 2015. Statistics show that China has achieved the goal of driving 300 million people onto the ice and snow, and the number of people participating in the national ice and snow sports has reached 346 million.

Zhao Weidong also said that China participated in the Winter Olympics for the first time in 1980. At that time, the number of athletes participating in the competition was 28, while the number of athletes participating in this Winter Olympics in China was 176.

Zhao Weidong, spokesman of BOCOG:This shows that China has been handed down from generation to generation in winter sports, and that China is a firm pursuer and activist of the Olympic ideal.

Han Zirong, the full-time vice chairman of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, said that all the events in the Winter Olympics are running smoothly.

Han Zirong, Full-time Vice Chairman of BOCOG:The overall operation of the event is stable and good. In terms of the guarantee of the competition, we insist on taking the athletes as the center, and provide good conditions for all athletes from the aspects of venue construction, training conditions, living security and medical rescue, so as to ensure that athletes can participate in the competition equally and safely. At present, we see that many athletes have given high praise and appreciation to accommodation, catering and track.

At the same time, Christopher Dolby, director of the Olympic Department of the International Olympic Committee, also gave positive comments on the conditions of various venues of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Christopher Dolby, Director of the Olympic Department of the International Olympic Committee:When you go to see the comments of some athletes, you may have read many comments. They praise the quality of the venue. Some people describe this condition as "paradise". We seldom hear such high comments. All of us are here (China) at this time, and the praise is really great.