Thought Experiments

[MoonerSK]

it will derail and crush all six of them

Then it's just an accident and everybody wins.
Except those killed.

not really an accident if something you did caused it to derail + some people in the train might get killed as well

[Xenodog]

it will derail and crush all six of them

Then it's just an accident and everybody wins.
Except those killed.

not really an accident if something you did caused it to derail + some people in the train might get killed as well

Ohh, so there are people in the train now...

[MoonerSK]

well there need to be at least driver 

[BANE]

No there doesn't. Have you seen Unstoppable?

[MoonerSK]

Have you seen Unstoppable?

no

[Aspie]

Playing these kind of games, is like playing a game vs someone who brought a loaded dice with them.

No matter what you chose, there's something to be critical about and call you out as being amoral. A lose-lose scenario, pretending to be a win-lose scenario.

The point of this is not to measure who is the best human being or to call anyone out, it's an opportunity to analyze and apply your personal "philosophy" when it comes to the value of human life/lives, your conscience, and impact.


Often microscopic cases like this reflect political ideology when it comes to public and foreign policy, etc.

Question: if I pull the lever after the train has passed through the intersection a little bit, will it derail?

Anyway, I imagine if you pulled the lever at the precise moment it would screw the tracks and derail the train instead of killer anyone.

In the original scenario, you cannot derail the trolley, and you are unsure of how many people are on the trolley.



It just boils down to:

Would you kill one person to save 5 people, or would you favor the lone individual by doing nothing and letting 5 people die.

[BANE]

Alright then, I'd kill the one person.

[Aspie]

I couldn't do it. I don't wouldn't be able to handle knowing that I, directly, killed a person to prevent a catastrophe that I didn't cause. In whichever you choice, you play God to some degree. You're deciding the fate of these people.


One option lets you choose to 'let die', and the other option has you actively killing someone.

[Cal427eb]

Why should I care how many people I cause to live or die if I don't know them? I don't pull the lever because I don't have the right to choose the fate of the strangers. If I knew them or their opinion on the matter I might actually do something.

[Aspie]

Why should I care how many people I cause to live or die if I don't know them? I don't pull the lever because I don't have the right to choose the fate of the strangers. If I knew them or their opinion on the matter I might actually do something.

But the thing is you don't have the time to take a poll, the scenario is simply trying to capture your rationale for the split decision you have to make.

[BANE]

What the hell is the matter with you people? 5 people vs 1 person. You're either killing through negligence or killing through lever pulling. Either way you're killing somebody. Why would you rather kill 5 people vs. 1 person?

[MoonerSK]

you are not killing the 5 people if you don't pull the lever, you just don't save them but you would actually kill the one if you pulled it

[ikarop]

I couldn't do it. I don't wouldn't be able to handle knowing that I, directly, killed a person to prevent a catastrophe that I didn't cause. In whichever you choice, you play God to some degree. You're deciding the fate of these people.


One option lets you choose to 'let die', and the other option has you actively killing someone.

What about now?

Spoiler

[close]

[BANE]

You killed them through negligence.

If my friend and I are both stuck underwater and I have an oxygen tank and mask but don't share it with him, have I killed him or let him die? I killed him.

[Cal427eb]

Why should I care how many people I cause to live or die if I don't know them? I don't pull the lever because I don't have the right to choose the fate of the strangers. If I knew them or their opinion on the matter I might actually do something.

But the thing is you don't have the time to take a poll, the scenario is simply trying to capture your rationale for the split decision you have to make.

I know. That's why I said I don't pull the lever.

What the hell is the matter with you people? 5 people vs 1 person. You're either killing through negligence or killing through lever pulling. Either way you're killing somebody. Why would you rather kill 5 people vs. 1 person?

Why should I care about how many people I kill, save, or don't save.