The Sinister Design Forums

Note: Some of you may be familiar with this ethical problem, some not. Anyway, (I don't mean to rude) but I will decide where this will go, for after we have discussed this version of the trolley problem, I'd like to make a few variations to it, and see if your opinions differ.

                                                                    The Trolley Problem

                                                                  (http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/files/images/Greene-trolley-image005.gif)

There is a train track, which splits into 2 tracks at a certain point. On one of the train tracks, 5 people are tied down to the track. On the other, only 1 is tied down. A loose trolley is hurtling down the tracks, and cannot be stopped. Fortunately, you happen to be standing by a lever, a lever the can't change and decide which track the trolley will go on to. Currently, it will go to the one with 5 people, but if you pull the lever, you can change the course and make the trolley go to the track with 1 person. What would you do, and why?                                  

I would flip the switch, you save more lives that way. I mean yes I would try everything I could to save that one man but I would still flip the switch.

[spoiler]I can't wait to see what you are going to change this into...[/spoiler]

I'm with Zack but I wouldn't like it. I hate death. Someone tried to poison the classroom snails in General Science today. Poor wittle snails. :( I would try to save the one if I could as well as the five.

I couldn't I couldn't do anything to kill one person even if doing nothing kills five, I couldn't look at someone who was going to live and say "I'm sorry but I'm gonna kill you, it's for the greater good"

Question!!! Why would 6 people be tied to the track in the first place?

I say, five people shouldn't have angered the mafia by not paying loans, and the one should have made a better martini. I'm not altering the scenario and having death on my hands.

Wait a sec; is the one person our personal equivalent of Mary Jane Watson? 'Cause if I don't know the five, I'm DEFINITELY choosing the one.

I would flip it. Its cold, but think of the familes of the people tied up- I'd rather one family hear that their family member died to saved five other people. Also, this does assume we don't know them. Just to clarify for people who were asking

I was only askin' on account of the fact that the guy in the pic looks like Spidey.

Ok then. Now, imagine the same scenario, just that the 'one' is somebody you love (mother/father/girlfriend/etc). Would you save the five or the one you love?
:-* Hard decision :-*

kill the five, I can't flip the switch and live with myself in the first place so this just makes it weigh less on my conscience easy decision

The one. Ditto to Holy.

I switch the lever.