Which Way to Turn
Is sacrificing one life to save the lives of many others the best possible outcome? What is utilitarianism and how does consent change the story?
Variant 1: Onlooker
Now let’s assume that you’re no longer the driver and that you’re an onlooker. You now have the option to pull a lever which will result in the trolley cart hurtling towards the side track, again killing one but sparing five.
Do you pull the lever?
Variant 2: The Fat Man
Now let’s consider a different scenario. You’re still an onlooker and you’re standing on a bridge overlooking a trolley car. There are five school children at the end of the track. You feel helpless, until you notice that standing beside you is a really fat man. You could give him a shove, and he’ll fall in the way of the trolley car. He’ll die, but he’ll spare the five children.
Do you push the fat man?
What is Your Perspective?
The answer to these questions really depends on whether you are a utilitarian or a libertarian, if you adopt Locke’s philosophy, consequentialist or categorical moral reasoning.
Your perspective will influence your answers when you discuss topics ranging from new age technologies to controversial issues like euthanasia and abortion. How should self-driving cars decide who to kill if involved in a car accident? Is life really ours?
At The Knowledge Loft, we cover all these topics and more in our Chapter 7 lecture series: Philosophy, Justice and Politics.