The greatest killing machine known to philosophical thought experiments.
A trolley problem! A trolley problem! Finally we get to explore this paragon of philosophical conundrums.
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Greg has just one minute to make an agonising choice. A runaway train is hurtling down the track towards the junction where he is standing. Further down the line, too far away for him to reach, forty men are working in a tunnel. If the train reaches them, it is certain to kill many of them.
Greg can't stop the train. But he can pull the lever that will divert it down another track. Further down this line, in another tunnel, only five men are working. The death toll is bound to be smaller.
But if Greg pulls the lever, he is deliberately choosing to bring death to this gang of five. If he leaves it alone, it will not be him who causes deaths among the forty. He must bring about the deaths of a few people, or allow even more to die. But isn't it worse to kill people than it is simply to let them die?
The rails are humming, the engine noises getting louder. Greg has only seconds to make his choice. To kill or let die?
Source: "The Problem of Abortion and the Doctrine of Double Effect" by Philippa Foot, 2002
Baggini, J., The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten, 2005, p. 265.
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Okay so it's a runaway train and not a trolley, but still—a trolley problem! What do you think is at stake here for Greg? What would you do if you were in his shoes? And how would you feel about it afterwards? Leave your comments below and I'll try not to kill them in my answer on Friday.
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Greg has just one minute to make an agonising choice. A runaway train is hurtling down the track towards the junction where he is standing. Further down the line, too far away for him to reach, forty men are working in a tunnel. If the train reaches them, it is certain to kill many of them.
Greg can't stop the train. But he can pull the lever that will divert it down another track. Further down this line, in another tunnel, only five men are working. The death toll is bound to be smaller.
But if Greg pulls the lever, he is deliberately choosing to bring death to this gang of five. If he leaves it alone, it will not be him who causes deaths among the forty. He must bring about the deaths of a few people, or allow even more to die. But isn't it worse to kill people than it is simply to let them die?
The rails are humming, the engine noises getting louder. Greg has only seconds to make his choice. To kill or let die?
Source: "The Problem of Abortion and the Doctrine of Double Effect" by Philippa Foot, 2002
Baggini, J., The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten, 2005, p. 265.
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Okay so it's a runaway train and not a trolley, but still—a trolley problem! What do you think is at stake here for Greg? What would you do if you were in his shoes? And how would you feel about it afterwards? Leave your comments below and I'll try not to kill them in my answer on Friday.
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