#141: Trolley Problem, Fortunate Misfortune & How Zen Traps You
3 Ideas in 2 Minutes on Moral Conundrums
I. Trolley Problem
There’s a trolley heading down a track and it’s out of control. If it isn’t stopped soon it will run over five people tied to the tracks. Who cares how they got there? You have to act now. But the only way to prevent the five certain deaths is to pull a lever to divert the trolley to a second set of tracks. Then only one person will be killed.
This Trolley Problem is a famous thought experiment highlighting several moral dilemmas. Do you think that pulling the lever and actively killing one person is inherently wrong? Regardless of the consequences? Or is it your duty to minimise suffering by signing the death warrant of one individual?
If you enjoy solving problems with only bad solutions, you may be interested in my article on the Trolley Problem Meme: 9 Witty Variations of the Ethical Dilemma.
👉 On a related note, check out my new essay on the Gell-Mann Amnesia Effect: Why You Shouldn’t Trust the Media. (At least not entirely.)
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