Moral Dilemma

There's something cool I just remembered, some of you might have heard of it, but anyway...

So, you're in San Francisco and you see a tram go out of control and start speeding off down the track. Now, there is a lever beside you, and if you pull it, it will divert the tram onto an adjacent track and save the lives of the people in the tram. Now here's the catch. You see someone standing on the other track, and if you pull the lever and change the route of the tram you will kill this woman who is standing on the other track.

So what do you do, pull the lever and send a woman to her death, or watch 15 people die in a crash?

Let the 15 people die.

It is better for 15 people to die accidentally than to be entirely responsible for the death of one.

Of course, if you ask me this tomarow I'd likely say the opposite. Im feeling sort of laissez faire tonight...

Run away and let someone else do it.

Sorry if I didn't mention it but its sorta a spur of the moment thing (like 5 seconds). And idk, maybe she wasn't looking.

We talked about a varient of this in my philosophy class. I said that I'd let the greater majority die because it shouldn't be up to you to choose whose life is more valuable. For all you know, those that you save could be terrible people. On the other hand they could all be great. But given no information on anyone it's not fair for you to value anyone's life over someone elses.

I would probably save the fifteen.

Is there a way for me to kill the woman AND the passengers?

I would probably save the 15 people. I don't think people would be blaming me for murder if I was saving 15 people in doing so. And if no life can be valued over another, why does one outweigh 15?

Hmm...I'll act myself out of that one.I would pretend that I'm falling and then I fall against the lever...Whoopsie-Doopsie :oops:

Is there a way for me to kill the woman AND the passengers?

freek666

let the 15 ppl die, the world needs population reduction, and other that intentional accidents, I don't see any other way, unless they legalize random killing spree.-Hells_Gate-

I think this depends entirely on3 things

1) Religious beliefs
2) Moral values
3) Fate

If you choose number 1 then is it up to you who lives and dies or is it the choice of the God you pray to. Choosing number 2 is probably the hardest, could you live with yourself after letting 15 people die when you could've saved them, or purposely killing 1 to save the rest, number 1 would play a major part in picking number 2 if you can ask for forgiveness from your God over whichever choice you make. Choosing number 3 says you let life run its course, you stand still in shock and awe and watch the catastrophe unfold as it goes, maybe the trams brakes will lock and everyone lives, maybe not, but you dont effect the final outcome either way or do you......maybe you were meant to be there at that exact moment to pull that lever, maybe not.....

Pull the lever, obviously. 1 death isn't as bad as 15.Funky_Llama

Would you feel the same way if the 15 people happened to be a group of ex-cons, maybe some murderes on there, couple petophiles, who knows....you dont know any of the people so your decision could reach farther than you expected. What if a a few of the 15 that live later go out and blow up a building or murderer someone. How can you decide.....?

I'd pull the lever, why the hell are people in the track anyway?

Besides it's more likely that one person manages to get away than 15

Pull the lever.

Why is a woman standing on a train track? Is it a nice place for lunch or something?

Would you feel the same way if the 15 people happened to be a group of ex-cons, maybe some murderes on there, couple petophiles, who knows....you dont know any of the people so your decision could reach farther than you expected. What if a a few of the 15 that live later go out and blow up a building or murderer someone. How can you decide.....?

elfimis

Ummm... How often do they fill a train up with ex-cons and what not. I doubt with the small amount of time I would have that I would be taking all of this into consideration.

[QUOTE="Funky_Llama"]Pull the lever, obviously. 1 death isn't as bad as 15.elfimis

Would you feel the same way if the 15 people happened to be a group of ex-cons, maybe some murderes on there, couple petophiles, who knows....you dont know any of the people so your decision could reach farther than you expected. What if a a few of the 15 that live later go out and blow up a building or murderer someone. How can you decide.....?

Interesting twist. If you had to physically push the woman out onto the track to stop the tram instead of just pulling a lever, would you do it?

Interesting twist. If you had to physically push the woman out onto the track to stop the tram instead of just pulling a lever, would you do it?

Guybrush_3

[QUOTE="Guybrush_3"]

Interesting twist. If you had to physically push the woman out onto the track to stop the tram instead of just pulling a lever, would you do it?

Funky_Llama

I saw a study about this. Most people said that they would pull a lever, but they would not physically push someone into the tracks.

This one reminds me of that scene in Spiderman 2 where Spiderman stopped the elevated train from crashing on the terminal point of the rails.

So, I would call Spiderman. :P

Now the serious answer is that I would pull the lever, while at the same time shouting at the woman to get out of the tracks. :)

That way I will know that I have done my best to avoid both "hits".

This one reminds me of that scene in Spiderman 2 where Spiderman stopped the elevated train from crashing on the terminal point of the rails.

So, I would call Spiderman. :P

Teenaged

Yeah, I was thinking that too...

And why the hell is some lady just standing on the train tracks?

Pull the lever. Surely it's a no-brainer? And in response to Guybrush's variant, I'd probably feel worse about the one person I killed, but I'd still push him.

Stupid b**** shouldn't be on the track, so I'll pull the lever.

I would probably save the 15 people. I don't think people would be blaming me for murder if I was saving 15 people in doing so. And if no life can be valued over another, why does one outweigh 15?

k_smoove

I think this depends entirely on3 things

1) Religious beliefs
2) Moral values
3) Fate

If you choose number 1 then is it up to you who lives and dies or is it the choice of the God you pray to. Choosing number 2 is probably the hardest, could you live with yourself after letting 15 people die when you could've saved them, or purposely killing 1 to save the rest, number 1 would play a major part in picking number 2 if you can ask for forgiveness from your God over whichever choice you make. Choosing number 3 says you let life run its course, you stand still in shock and awe and watch the catastrophe unfold as it goes, maybe the trams brakes will lock and everyone lives, maybe not, but you dont effect the final outcome either way or do you......maybe you were meant to be there at that exact moment to pull that lever, maybe not.....

elfimis

Interesting, but I doubt most religious people would think the theologicalimplications through. I reckon that it would usually boil down to 15>1.

scream at the lady to jump off, why wouldnt she do that anyway?XilePrincess

I would save the 15 and pray that the woman would get out the way in time. :)Lansdowne5

[QUOTE="XilePrincess"]scream at the lady to jump off, why wouldnt she do that anyway?Serraph105

Interesting twist. If you had to physically push the woman out onto the track to stop the tram instead of just pulling a lever, would you do it?

Guybrush_3

Seeing as God loves all people equally, I think it would be better to save 15 than save 1.