Valhalla Legends Archive

This is another problem posed to us in philosophy class that I enjoyed.  We never did come to an agreement, one way or the other, but I wonder what people here will say.

Note also that this is a toy problem, and it will never EVER happen, but it's still useful to think about.

You're walking down some train tracks.  You turn around, and see an out of control train going down the tracks.  In the other direction, just past a fork, you see 10 people (you can't tell who; assume they're random people) having a picnic on the tracks.  Say it's in a tunnel so they can't get away, it doesn't matter.

Luckly, you're at a switchbox, and can make sure the train doesn't hit them by just pulling the switch!  Unfortunately, if you do, it will go down another track and hit a single person (again, you don't know who) walking down the other side of the fork.

Do you pull the switch, knowing full well you're killing the person walking down the tracks, or do you leave it, letting 10 people die?

Note that you don't know who these people are, and there's no easy way out (ie, they WILL die, depending on your choice, you can't warn them or derail the train).

There's really two answers:
1) pull the switch, because the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.  So 10 lives are more valuable than one life, so of course you'll pull it!
2) murder is worse than accident.  So it is best to let the people die, rather than taking the other person's life.

I'd pull the switch. Acting within my morals and beliefs, that is the right thing to do-- whether or not the law says so. The needs of many do outweigh the few.

Hmm... I wonder what CupHead will have to say about this?

Quote from: Eibro on November 09, 2003, 03:02 PM
I'd pull the switch. Acting within my morals and beliefs, that is the right thing to do-- whether or not the law says so. The needs of many do outweigh the few.

Aye.

Whether you switch the tracks or not, it is muder. By not diverting the train you are condeming/murdering the 10, as you would be condeming/murdering the single person if you did pull it.

Leave the switch and bust out my camcorder.  Film the event and collect the money for a CNN exclusive.

./edit They are all idiots for being on the tracks in the first place.  They should all die in order to keep their genes out of the pool.

Well, isn't it a better chance that one person would be able to move out of the way faster than a group of ten? Thus, I would pull the switch. (Then of course I would kill Thing and steal his camcorder, next selling it to CNN and get to be rich and a hero.)

I just put myself in the position of the one. I would rather give my life so that the greater number could live. Thats what my morals dictate.

Ok, think about this example:

You're a doctor.  you have 10 patients who are going to die with the day.  Then one man walks in to get allergy medication.  As you test him to see what he needs, you realize that he has the perfect genes to save the 10 people, but you would have to kill him.  He, of course, refuses to give his life to save these people.

Would you kill him, if it meant saving 10 lives?

Naa, it's not too late for another man to walk in and save the day. It also has to do with expectations, if he's risking his life willingly by walking somewhere he's not supposed to, or if he's just around. About the train: Try putting the switch between the tracks and let the train derail, with some luck it'll slow down enough that everyone makes it.

Quote from: Adron on November 09, 2003, 04:36 PM
Naa, it's not too late for another man to walk in and save the day. It also has to do with expectations, if he's risking his life willingly by walking somewhere he's not supposed to, or if he's just around. About the train: Try putting the switch between the tracks and let the train derail, with some luck it'll slow down enough that everyone makes it.

I said that there's "no easy way out" for a reason.  It's a toy problem; something that can't really happen, but is still useful to discuss.

And for the purposes of the example, the train tracks were abandoned; it's only by accident that a train ended up out of control going down them.

And what do you mean that it's too late?  The 10 people have 24 hours to live, unless the doctor kills the one man; how is that any different from the train hitting the 10 people instead of the 1?

i'd leave it.  it's their own fault for being on the tracks

Why choose? Hop in front of the train and you're left with no guilt.

Quote from: Hitmen on November 09, 2003, 05:32 PM
Why choose? Hop in front of the train and you're left with no guilt.

hmm, originally I said pull out your gun (this is an american psycologist), and shoot the one, then leave the switch.  If you can't choose, kill 'em all.

Quote from: iago on November 09, 2003, 05:49 PM

Quote from: Hitmen on November 09, 2003, 05:32 PM
Why choose? Hop in front of the train and you're left with no guilt.

hmm, originally I said pull out your gun (this is an american psycologist), and shoot the one, then leave the switch.  If you can't choose, kill 'em all.

Lmfao, +1.

As for the Doctor question (and this is different, the 1 person has refused)... You can't do anything, murder would land you in jail. Allowing the 10 people to die would be just another casualty of (insert disease name here).

Or, you could tell the 10 people, have 1 of them take the fall for murder, and let them kill the person and return the body to you.

You're ALL wrong.  It doesn't matter what choice you make, you cannot influence the outcome.  Run for your life.  The train is "out of control".