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I know. I normally see it presented as: "here's the lever version, and here's the fat guy variation, and isn't it surprising that people tend to answer them dif
by fenomas 10y ago
I know. I normally see it presented as: "here's the lever version, and here's the fat guy variation, and isn't it surprising that people tend to answer them differently even though they have the same outcome?"
This is what I find absurd - just because the questioner stipulates that two actions would have the same results doesn't make them morally equivalent (from the perspective of a person who can't see the future).
- Noxchi 10y agoExactly. In the switch varitation both the 1 man and 5 man group are tied to the tracks. For whatever reason we can assume fate has brought them there and it is our role to simply make the logical choice. But to ask one to push a man right beside you, in the same situation you are in, is quite different. Not even morally related.
- SerLava 10y agoThe whole problem with the trolley problem is that it lies to you. The difference between the train track and the fat man is that the train track is obviously binary. Then the fat man problem contains words like "and pushing him is the only way." But that's not at all convincing. You can't just say it's the only way. You'd have to rig up a situation where evil people set up a Saw the Movie type of hostage situation. In that case it would be just as bad for the acting hostage to kill 5 people in either scenario.