In the Trolley Problem, a train is hurtling down the tracks towards five men stuck in its path. … The utilitarian answer is that
the moral decision is to sacrifice the heavyweight man, because you'd still be killing one to save five
.
What does the trolley dilemma show?
The trolley problem is a series of thought experiments in ethics and psychology,
involving stylized ethical dilemmas of whether to sacrifice one person to save a larger number
. … Opinions on the ethics of each scenario turn out to be sensitive to details of the story that may seem immaterial to the abstract dilemma.
What does the Trolley Problem teach us?
The trolley problem is
a question of human morality
, and an example of a philosophical view called consequentialism. This view says that morality is defined by the consequences of an action, and that the consequences are all that matter. … It's a question of human morality.
What's wrong with the Trolley Problem?
The trolley problem is part of almost every introductory course on ethics, and it's about a vehicle killing people. … As the trolley driver, you are
not responsible for the failure of the brakes
or the presence of the workers on the track, so doing nothing means the unintentional death of five people.
When it comes to the trolley problem most utilitarians will say?
The trolley problem highlights a fundamental tension between two schools of moral thought. The utilitarian perspective dictates that
most appropriate action is the one that achieves the greatest good for the greatest number
.
What's the correct answer to the Trolley Problem?
So, what is one to do? Foot's own response to the Trolley Problem was that
the morally justified action would be to steer the trolley to kill the one workman, thus saving a net four lives
.
Who posed the Trolley Problem?
Philippa Foot
, a philosopher who argued that moral judgments have a rational basis, and who introduced the renowned ethical thought experiment known as the Trolley Problem, died at her home in Oxford, England, on Oct. 3, her 90th birthday.
Is the Trolley Problem an ethical dilemma?
The “Trolley Dilemma' is
an ethical thought experiment
where there is a runaway trolley moving down railway tracks. In its path, there are five people tied up and unable to move and the trolley is heading straight for them.
Is the trolley problem realistic?
The trolley problem is designed to be moral thought experiment, but
it could get very real in the very near future
. This time, it won't be a human at the controls, but your autonomous vehicle.
What question does the trolley problem raise?
To the wider world, and perhaps especially to undergraduate philosophy students, she is best known for inventing the Trolley Problem, which raises the
question of why it seems permissible to steer a trolley aimed at five people toward one person while it seems impermissible to do something such as killing one healthy
…
What medical problems did the trolley driver suffer from?
The trolley's driver had
a malignant tumor of the bone
. A few days before the race, his shoulder and arm were amputated. There was no hope of recovery.
What is Thomson's solution to the trolley problem?
In “The Trolley Problem,” Thomson offered a solution—call this her First Solu- tion—according to which
the bystander may flip the switch in Bystander be- cause were he to do so (1) he makes what was threatening five come to threaten only one and (2) he does so not by any means that constitute an infringement of any
…
What is best for the greater good?
Thus, an action that
results in the greatest pleasure for the utility of society
is the best action, or as Jeremy Bentham, the founder of early Utilitarianism put it, as the greatest happiness of the greatest number. … According to Mill, good actions result in pleasure, and that there is no higher end than pleasure.
Where does the trolley problem come from?
The “trolley problem” is generally believed to have been
invented by an English philosopher by the name of Philippa Foot
. She was born in 1920 and taught for many years at Oxford. The trolley problem was further developed and made popular by another woman philosopher, Judith Jarvis Thomson, who teaches at M. I. T.
Why you should pull the lever in the trolley problem?
The Trolley Problem: In Defence Of Doing Nothing
If you pull the lever,
you're causing the death of the one person
. Causing people to die seems like killing.
What is an example of moral dilemma?
A moral dilemma is a conflict of morals, where you are forced to choose between two or more options and you have a moral reason to choose and not choose each option. … An example of a moral dilemma is
having to choose between saving a dog from a fire or saving your sister
.
