The Trolley Problem
Version 1:
A trolley has lost control of its brakes, and the driver has no way of stopping the train as it hurtles down the tracks on a very steep hill. A bit farther down the hill, you are standing and watching the episode unfold. You notice that a little farther down from where you are standing, five workmen are stuck on the tracks. The trolley is headed straight for them and if something isn't done, these five men will die. Right next to you, you notice there is a lever that will make the trolley move onto another track. However, upon looking at this second track, you see that there is one person stuck on it. If you switch the direction of the trolley, the five workers from the first track will survive, but the one man on the second track will die. What do you do?
Version 2:
You are standing on a bridge and watch as a trolley loses control and hurtles down the hill. At the end of the tracks are the five workmen who are bound to die. This time, there is no lever to move the trolley to another track. The trolley will be passing under the bridge that you are standing on though, and you know that dropping a heavy weight in front of the trolley will make it stop. You happen to be standing next to a very large man on the bridge and realize that the only way to stop the trolley from killing the five workmen is by pushing the large man over the bridge and onto the track, which, as a result, will kill the large man. What do you do?
1) Write what you would do for each version of the two stories.
2) Is there a difference between pulling the lever in version 1 and pushing the large man in version 2, why or why not?
3) How do you think someone from the teleological (consequentialist) perspective would choose to act in one of the situations?
4) How do you think someone from the deontological perspective would act in one of the situation?
5) When do you think it is morally acceptable to do something bad in order to bring about a good result? Give an example.