Wednesday 19 November 2014

In the original trolley problem, a train is hurtling down a track and you see that it is going to hit a group of 5 people and will certainly kill...

The Trolley Problem was first introduced to students by Philippa Foot in 1967 and poses an interesting ethical dilemma. To answer it, you need to consider the following two questions. Firstly, is it better to sacrifice one person (the minority) in order to save the lives of the majority? Essentially, this question is asking you to reflect on the value of human life. You must think carefully about whether you believe that one life is worth more or less than the lives of many. 

Secondly, to compound the first problem, you also have to consider the physical aspects of sacrificing a life. In the original version of the Trolley Problem, for example, all you have to do is pull a switch. You are not, in any way, connected to the person who will die. But in the second version, you have to physically push over the man. This means that you are actively involved in sacrificing a life and, for some people, this is much more difficult than simply pulling a switch.


Ultimately, it is your only moral values that will help you to answer these questions. For some people, killing a person is wrong, regardless of the circumstances, while others believe that a sacrifice is sometimes worth making. 


Remember that there are no "right" or "wrong" answers here; the Trolley Problem wants you think deeply about the value of life and reflect on your own ethical code. 


For more information, please see the reference link provided.

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