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As visited by MSG (Join to see) :There is a runaway trolley barreling down the railway tracks. Ahead, on the tracks, there are five people tied up and unable to move. The trolley is headed straight for them. You are standing some distance off in the train yard, next to a lever. If you pull this lever, the trolley will switch to a different set of tracks. However, you notice that there is one person on the side track. You have two options: (1) Do nothing, and the trolley kills the five people on the main track. (2) Pull the lever, diverting the trolley onto the side track where it will kill one person. Which is the correct choice?
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Ethics
Ethics
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 15
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Phillipa Foot rears her head again.
And what about the people in the trolley itself?
You also skipped the alternate scenario with the fat man on the bridge (as shown in the illustration).
The single person on the side track is not restrained in this scenario. In this case, I would be the Utilitarian and throw the lever to save the 5 helpless people. However, THEN I would run like mad to warn the single person who is now in danger but able to dodge the train. The chances of him being able to escape safely are not wonderful, but obviously higher than those of the five who are restrained had I not thrown the switch.
And what about the people in the trolley itself?
You also skipped the alternate scenario with the fat man on the bridge (as shown in the illustration).
The single person on the side track is not restrained in this scenario. In this case, I would be the Utilitarian and throw the lever to save the 5 helpless people. However, THEN I would run like mad to warn the single person who is now in danger but able to dodge the train. The chances of him being able to escape safely are not wonderful, but obviously higher than those of the five who are restrained had I not thrown the switch.
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These are interesting ponderables, but I submit that there is no "correct" answer, but rather a "most rational" one: The answer is always the action that results in the fewest injuries - ethically and morally it's impossible to come to any other answer.
So... Let's add a nasty dimension...
What's the decision if the SOLE person on the side track is a loved one, and the other track contains only strangers?
Sorry, SSgt Alexander Ingram, the switch is BINARY - there's no in-between...
So... Let's add a nasty dimension...
What's the decision if the SOLE person on the side track is a loved one, and the other track contains only strangers?
Sorry, SSgt Alexander Ingram, the switch is BINARY - there's no in-between...
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MSG (Join to see)
PO2 Steven Erickson I agree sound log and rationality comes to grips with morality and ethics and in the eyes of the person deciding (the judge), the least loss of life (if possible) agrees with rationality while calms their morality. Most likely the case as to why most pick the lever.
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CW2 Joseph Evans
Or maybe the person standing on the other track is my brother, who I just watched tie the other 5 to the trolley tracks.... Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, Personal Courage... Wait, no, that's your battle buddy who just threw some other team under the trolley to cover up a mistake... Wait, he didn't do it to cover up his mistake, he did it to cover up your mistake... What to do, what to dooo?????
Some of these qualifiers could get ugly...
Some of these qualifiers could get ugly...
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Cpl Eric Mosher
They just happened to have this problem on brain games last night on NatGeo. It is an interesting ethical dilemma. The question prompts an ethical calculation which usually drives us to select the lesser of two evils. Adding the complexity of a loved one vs a stranger adds a little more stress to the equation.
That being said, I still say sacrifice the one for the many. Loved one or not, one death is still the most desirable outcome all things considered.
That being said, I still say sacrifice the one for the many. Loved one or not, one death is still the most desirable outcome all things considered.
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