The Trolley Dilemma

I'm not sure if this has been posted before but here you go.

Situation One:

You are near a switch where a trolley (train) can be moved tracked. The track which it is heading for had 4 people on it. The other has 1. Would you switch to save the four and kill the one?

Yes / No

Situation Two:

You are on a bridge along with another 'large' person. Underneath is a trolley. On the track are four children. Would you push the large man over to save the four children?

Yes / No

Situation Three:

You're next to a switch and Logan Lerman The Queen is on one track, four children on the other. Who do you save by changing the switch?

The Queen / Four Children

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Those are considered hard questions. I'd save the one day in the first one. Let the children die in the second one. Save the Queen in the third one.http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/...ticleLarge.jpg

are they trick questions?

id save the 4 people, I wouldn't push the large man over to save the kids and id rather save kids than the queen

Quote:

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Originally Posted by buttons

are they trick questions?

id save the 4 people, I wouldn't push the large man over to save the kids and id rather save kids than the queen

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It's not a trick question! I would only do something with the Queen. You said you would murder 3 people. If you didn't do anything then you'd of killed no one.

If the question was in good English, that might help. In situation 1, considering the track *had* 4 people on it, I would keep the train on that path since the people aren't there anymore.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kardan

If the question was in good English, that might help. In situation 1, considering the track *had* 4 people on it, I would keep the train on that path since the people aren't there anymore.

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omg lol believe it or not i seen tht but meh
i thought ud be smart enough to get it :L

I don't think I'd do anything in any of those situations. I don't particularly like the idea of "playing God" but that's not what would bother me- it's the idea that I would value one life over another.

I think the easiest situation for me is the second one because I would never directly kill someone (pushing is direct) to save someone else. The other two are harder, although the fact that Situation Three has the Queen in it doesn't make a difference to me because she is "worth" exactly the same as any other person. I suppose I would choose to let whatever was going to happen happen without changing anything because who lives and who dies isn't my choice to make.

Hey @Intersocial; much moral dilemma omg wow ;)

edit: oh were these trick questions that makes me really sad

I would not change it in any circumstance. The train automatically heading towards Group 1 is not my doing, whereas if I change it to Group 2/different track then I've personally caused that to happen and am responsible for the death.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Intersocial

I would not change it in any circumstance. The train automatically heading towards Group 1 is not my doing, whereas if I change it to Group 2/different track then I've personally caused that to happen and am responsible for the death.

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that was my reasoning for the second question, i wouldn't push down one man to save others, id let life take its course. didnt think about that for first one but I would kill the queen cause yolo

Yes
Yes
Four Children


The queen will die soon anyway why would you save her

I wouldn't get involved. I would push the large man in front of a train because then I'm committing murder. If I stand back, I've not murdered anyone.

Yes
Yes
Four children

I feel bad for these choices but for example with the Queen, I think she would rather die than the four children be killed. There is always someone there to take her place.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mikey

Yes
Yes
Four children

I feel bad for these choices but for example with the Queen, I think she would rather die than the four children be killed. There is always someone there to take her place.

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Would you rather die if you was her? I wouldn't but meh.

In situation 2, I couldn't kill an innocent person to save others. I'd keep the train on whatever path it was on and not change it for both those situations. Although if it was 4 of my loved ones against a stranger then I think I would probably change it...

Save the kids, push the fat man and save the kids again

I'd let fait happen.

If the train is heading for the 4 people, let it. I couldn't bring myself to changing that and killing someone else.

I wouldn't push anyone off a bridge, no matter what.

and four Children, or depending who the train is heading for first

Situation 1: I wouldn't want to change fate and have blood on my hands, so no. Me changing it to one person that dies makes me the murderer, leaving it as it is may mean four people have died, but I haven't murdered to save four.

Situation 2: No, because that's making me as good as a murderer. And leaving children to die isn't me being a murderer, as the only way to save them is to murder.

Situation 3: The four children. I know nothing about the royal family and I don't care for it. She's like 100, so she's lived a long life. So yeah, I'd save the children.


​Very simple questions for me. P.S I've never heard a train being called a trolley... Where do these questions originate from?