OP 28 March, 2021 - 09:18 AM
(This post was last modified: 28 March, 2021 - 09:54 AM by Ultralight.)
I realize this is a really random post for this forum, but I was watching a video that mentioned this, and it got me thinking a bit, so I thought you guys might also enjoy it, and who knows it may help you out with some of the decisions you make 
I was watching a video where they brought up this sort of philosophy/logic puzzle called "The Trolley Problem" and it got me thinking about the wording that is used
In reality, if we yelled for the one person to(temporarily) get out of the way fast enough, pulled the lever, and then let the trolley pass, then we would have a scenario in which everyone walks away alive and you aren't forced to kill someone
Now there is also the interpretation where we are faced with the choice between pushing a tall/fat guy off a bridge, or letting the trolley run over the people on the way of the trolley
Either way, I think that this problem is more a matter of trapping you into making a decision which you in theory wouldn't have to make at all. I mean even if you yelled and the people didn't get out the way, and they all died(or maybe some of them get out the way in time and some don't), you warned them anyway right? And either way someone would still walk away with their life. Doesn't this problem just basically then force you to make an ethically/morally wrong choice when the option of a mutually good ending for both sides is also possible?
I also know that there are only 2 current accepted solutions to this problem(to not pull the lever and kill the one person, or let the 5 people trapped die), so there is probably a hole in my logic there somewhere, but it being 2 am, and me being in a curious state of mind, I thought i would post my thought process about this problem and see what you guys think.
Imma be surprised if any of ya actually respond, but i love yall anyway.
pce, cheers, don't kill people with trolleys
Services
Discord:ultralight#3199
I was watching a video where they brought up this sort of philosophy/logic puzzle called "The Trolley Problem" and it got me thinking about the wording that is used
Quote:There is a runaway trolley barrelling down the railway tracks. Ahead, on the tracks, there are five people tied up and unable to move. The trolley is headed straight for them. You are standing some distance off in the train yard, next to a lever. If you pull this lever, the trolley will switch to a different set of tracks. However, you notice that there is one person on the side track. You have two options:Do nothing and allow the trolley to kill the five people on the main track.Pull the lever, diverting the trolley onto the side track where it will kill one person..So this is the first instance that was used, and while it is clearly stated that the first 5 people are tied up, the problem never states whether the one person standing to the side track is also trapped as well or not.
In reality, if we yelled for the one person to(temporarily) get out of the way fast enough, pulled the lever, and then let the trolley pass, then we would have a scenario in which everyone walks away alive and you aren't forced to kill someone
Now there is also the interpretation where we are faced with the choice between pushing a tall/fat guy off a bridge, or letting the trolley run over the people on the way of the trolley
Quote:A runaway trolley is heading down the tracks toward five workers who will all be killed if the trolley proceeds on its present course. Adam is on a footbridge over the tracks, in between the approaching trolley and the five workers. Next to him on this footbridge is a stranger who happens to be very large. The only way to save the lives of the five workers is to push this stranger off the footbridge and onto the tracks below where his large body will stop the trolley. The stranger will die if Adam does this, but the five workers will be saved.But in this case it is also never stated if the workers are just tied up, or just unaware that the trolley will be hitting them. If they are indeed not tied up, and only unaware, then wouldn't it be technically possible for Adam to yell for them to get out the way just in time for them to be saved, while at the same time not having to push the other man off the bridge?
Either way, I think that this problem is more a matter of trapping you into making a decision which you in theory wouldn't have to make at all. I mean even if you yelled and the people didn't get out the way, and they all died(or maybe some of them get out the way in time and some don't), you warned them anyway right? And either way someone would still walk away with their life. Doesn't this problem just basically then force you to make an ethically/morally wrong choice when the option of a mutually good ending for both sides is also possible?
I also know that there are only 2 current accepted solutions to this problem(to not pull the lever and kill the one person, or let the 5 people trapped die), so there is probably a hole in my logic there somewhere, but it being 2 am, and me being in a curious state of mind, I thought i would post my thought process about this problem and see what you guys think.
Imma be surprised if any of ya actually respond, but i love yall anyway.
pce, cheers, don't kill people with trolleys
Services Discord:ultralight#3199
