Hey Steemers, let's see where your moral compasses point.
Are you familiar with the trolley problem?
(source: McGedden, Trolley Problem Wikipedia page)
Let's say you were walking next to the train tracks one day, and noticed a runaway train coming in your direction. Next to you is a lever, which you can use to point the train down 1 of 2 tracks.
Track 1 (the current track) has 5 people on it that will not be able to get out of the way in time.
Track 2 (the optional track) has 1 person on it that will not be able to get out of the way in time.
If you do nothing, the train will continue down track 1, killing 5 people. If you pull the lever, the train will divert, killing one person based on your actions. What would you do?
Now, before you comment with your decision, I want you to think about the following:
- What is the most moral/ethical decision here?
- Would it matter who the people on the tracks were?
- What do you believe the right thing to do would be?
- Would your answer change if you were in either or the groups on the track, and someone else was in charge of pulling the lever?
- What do you believe shaped your philosophy towards your choice?
I'm curious to see your responses!
-Bobby