Questions of Ethics

[LaneyDoll]

Originally Posted by Nat

A train is coming down the tracks and will hit 5 people and kill them - unless a bystander - who is standing next to a switch that would move the train to another track - decides to flip this switch. If s/he does this, only one person would be killed. Should the bystander flip the switch?

I think you need to probably imagine that none of these folks are people you know. They are all of the same value to you - all strangers, all the same age, all law-abiding, all in the same state of health, etc. in order to do real justice to this question. You would also need to imagine that the bystander knows that if he throws the switch, the train will behave in the way it's supposed to.

BUT, it would be interesting also to hear what variables would influence you regarding whether the bystander should throw the switch.

Assuming that the conditions are as stated in the question, yes, the bystander should flip the switch. There is nothing to say if the five "chosen" are serial killers, rapists etc and that the single "chosen" is an innocent child, a scientist with a cure for cancer etc.

I am looking at this from the point of view of sacrificing one to save five.

Is this not something that is done every day? Emergency professionals must make these choices on a regular basis. Two cars trapped/two houses burning/two boats sinking and only time to save one-so do you choose the one that will save the most lives?

But, add the "human element" into this:

The original five are all strangers and just oneof my loved ones is standing in a crowd of the one million who could be chosen. At that point there is no question at all; the five die in order to prevent the possibly loss of my loved one.