The utilitarian perspective dictates that most appropriate action is the one that achieves the greatest good for the greatest number. ... Psychological research shows that in the first version of the problem, most people agree with utilitarians, deeming it morally acceptable to flip the switch, killing one to save five.
Would you push the fat man off the bridge?
Unless the train is stopped, it will inevitably kill all five men. ... However, a fat man, a stranger, is standing next to you: if you push him off the bridge, he will topple onto the line and, although he will die, his chunky body will stop the train, saving five lives.
Does utilitarianism support killing?
If the killer would suffer grief, guilt, or any emotional distress after performing this action, then it is, by utilitarian standards, morally impermissible. Killing this individual would benefit no one, and hurt the killer .
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.
Is there a correct answer to the trolley problem?
No Solution , No Problem
Like most philosophical problems, the Trolley Problem is not designed to have a solution.
What is the best solution to the 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 the trolley problem says about you?
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 .
Can utilitarianism justify simulated killing?
Utilitarianism. The obvious response of act utilitarianism would be that simulated killing is morally acceptable . After all, the person watching the film or playing the video game gets some enjoyment from the simulated killing, and the person being killed doesn’t actually suffer because it’s only fictional.
Can utilitarianism be used to justify simulated killing?
Utilitarianism and Simulated Killing. For Utilitarianism no act, qua act, is right or wrong . So we cannot say that playing at killing others is wrong. ... In fact, then, according to Utilitarianism it might be that playing a killer in a computer game is something that some people morally ought to do.
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.
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 .
Who created the Trolley Problem?
English philosopher Philippa Foot is credited with introducing this version of the trolley problem in 1967, though another philosopher, Judith Thomson of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is credited with coining the term trolley problem.
Can a body stop a trolley?
If the player pushes this one person off the footbridge , then their body will stop the trolley, saving the five other people. But the one person whom the player has pushed will die. In this problem, the person the player would push is big and fat enough to stop the trolley, but the player is not.
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 is the purpose of the trolley?
Trolley is the device used for carrying load or to transport the material from one point to another .
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.
