No, if random person wants to sacrifice their life for the greater good, then I have no objection.
I would, however, suggest that they are lacking somewhat in humanity. There is such a thing as being altruistic beyond the human norm, and this is an example of it.
If I knew someone was capable of this, I wouldn't want them as a friend or partner. Who knows when they might make one utilitarian calculation too many and kill us both?
Perhaps I am paranoid about this because... I used to be like that.
If I knew someone was capable of this, I wouldn't want them as a friend or partner. Who knows when they might make one utilitarian calculation too many and kill us both?
What if the friend shared the same core values as you? If my friend had the same core value as me (e.g. it is worth killing two people to save a billion people from eternal torture), and were utilitarian, then perhaps I'd be "ok"[1] with my friend making "one utilitarian calculation too many" and killing both of us.
1: By "ok", I guess I mean I'd probably be ...
In secret, an unemployed man with poor job prospects uses his savings to buy a large term life insurance policy, and designates a charity as the beneficiary. Two years after the policy is purchased, it will pay out in the event of suicide. The man waits the required two years, and then kills himself, much to the dismay of his surviving relatives. The charity receives the money and saves the lives of many people who would otherwise have died.
Are the actions of this man admirable or shameful?