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
.
What is the trolley problem called?
The most basic version of the dilemma, known as
“Bystander at the Switch” or “Switch”
, goes: 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.
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 does the Trolley Problem says about you?
The trolley problem
highlights a fundamental tension between two schools of moral thought
. … 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.
How does the Trolley Problem relate to psychology?
Daniel Bartels of Columbia University found that individual reactions to trolley problems is context sensitive and that
around 90% would refuse the act of deliberately killing one individual to save five lives
.
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 would a Deontologist do in 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 is the famous trolley problem?
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
.
What is a thought experiment example?
Examples of thought experiments include
Schrödinger's cat
, illustrating quantum indeterminacy through the manipulation of a perfectly sealed environment and a tiny bit of radioactive substance, and Maxwell's demon, which attempts to demonstrate the ability of a hypothetical finite being to violate the 2nd law of …
What can we learn from the trolley problem?
The so-called Trolley Problem sheds light on many claims in moral philosophy:
utilitarian positions
(doing what's best for the greatest number), the difference between doing and letting happen (being more obliged to not cause harm than to prevent harm), and issues of “collateral damage” (killing one person to save …
What would a rule utilitarian do in the Trolley Problem?
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 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
…
Is the trolley experiment ethical?
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.
Who invented 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 in 1985.
What is Kant's universal law?
Kant calls this the formula of universal law. … The formula of universal law therefore says that
you should should only act for those reasons which have the following characteristic
: you can act for that reason while at the same time willing that it be a universal law that everyone adopt that reason for acting.
What would Kant say to the trolley problem?
Kant is not saying that you should only act in a way if it would be okay for everyone else to act like that. What he is saying is that you
should only act if it makes sense for you to will for everyone to act in the same way
.
