Are You Willing to Kill 1 to Save 5?

What the Trolley Problem reveals about your values.

Jon Hawkins
The Apeiron Blog

Photo by madeleine ragsdale on Unsplash

The Trolley Problem dates back to Phillipa Foot’s 1967 paper — The Problem of Abortion and the Doctrine of the Double Effect.”

And since then, it’s usage has spiralled out of control — regularly featuring in Philosophical works from the likes of Judith Jarvis Thompson and Peter Singer.

It has also become an internet phenomenon; with Facebook and Twitter pages posting adapting versions of the problem to millions of followers.

It seems we all know what the problem poses — and our answer gives us insight into the ethical values we hold.

But, it seems, what the conclusion of the trolley problem should be is largely open to dispute.

So; is it permissible to kill someone as a means to save 5?

Your answer could reveal a lot about the ethical values that you live by on a day to day basis — and could dictate the decisions that you make.

Recap — The Thought Experiment.

You’re walking alongside a train track when you hear a sudden scream.

The train track in front of you splits into two lanes.

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