You are on a bridge under which it will pass, and you can stop it by putting something very heavy in front of it. As it happens, there is a very fat man next to you – your only way to stop the trolley is to push him over the bridge and onto the track , killing him to save five. Should you proceed?
Is there a correct answer to the trolley problem?
Like most philosophical problems, the Trolley Problem is not designed to have a solution.
How do you solve a trolley problem?
The only way to save the lives of the five workers is to divert the trolley onto another track that only has one worker on it . If Adam diverts the trolley onto the other track, this one worker will die, but the other five workers will be saved.
What does the trolley problem reveal?
The trolley problem is a thought experiment in ethics about a fictional scenario in which an onlooker has the choice to save 5 people in danger of being hit by a trolley, by diverting the trolley to kill just 1 person.
Does the trolley problem matter?
Trolley cases are relevant to what morality requires in dilemmas where harming at least one person is unavoidable, and a choice is required about how to distribute harms between multiple persons whose interests are in conflict.
What would a utilitarian do in the Trolley Problem?
Utilitarian philosophers have traditionally given little importance to intuitions. ... In all the trolley scenarios, utilitarians would favor whatever option in which the greater numbers of lives are saved . The moral value of an action is not in its intrinsic nature, but rather in its consequences.
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.
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 ...
How would a Deontologist handle the trolley problem?
A deontologist would further argue that killing is never acceptable — it would be immoral to pull the lever to kill on (in the above case pulling the lever would be considered actively killing the person) , even if that meant allowing the trolley to continue on its course to kill 100 people.
What are the 3 principles of utilitarianism?
- Pleasure or Happiness Is the Only Thing That Truly Has Intrinsic Value. ...
- Actions Are Right Insofar as They Promote Happiness, Wrong Insofar as They Produce Unhappiness. ...
- Everyone’s Happiness Counts Equally.
What is a good example of utilitarianism?
When individuals are deciding what to do for themselves alone, they consider only their own utility. For example, if you are choosing ice cream for yourself , the utilitarian view is that you should choose the flavor that will give you the most pleasure.
Who devised the Trolley Problem?
This is the crux of the classic thought experiment known as the trolley dilemma, developed by philosopher Philippa Foot in 1967 and adapted by Judith Jarvis Thomson
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. People are told that they are standing some distance off in the train yard, next to a lever.
Is the trolley problem A paradox?
The trolley problem is an ethical paradox , which forces us reflect on our own values and biases. Though the fictitious problem involves the subject making a quick decision, the exercise is useful precisely because it shows how hard making such a decision would be in practice.
Do the ends justify the means Trolley Problem?
The ends never justify the means. In the case of the trolley problem, this would mean that the conductor must choose one metric for fairness that they never break.
How would a Kantian solve the Trolley Problem?
Now that we’ve been roughly introduced to Kant’s moral philosophy, we can examine what a Kantist would do when faced with the trolley problem. ... The simple answer is that Kantianism does not allow for the pushing of the lever; you shouldn’t kill one to save five .
