The Trolley Problem is a moral dilemma that explores the conflict between saving more lives and causing harm to an individual. Different perspectives, such as utilitarianism, moral intuition, and Kantian deontology, offer contrasting solutions. Utilitarianism focuses on maximizing overall happiness, while moral intuition emphasizes empathy and individual responsibility. Kantian deontology follows universal moral rules and aims to treat individuals with respect and dignity.
The Trolley Problem is a classic thought experiment used to explore moral reasoning. It presents a scenario where a person has the option to pull a lever and divert a trolley to a different track, saving five workers but killing one. The fundamental moral issue it addresses is the conflict between the greater good (saving more lives) and individual moral responsibility (actively causing harm to one person).
There are different approaches to solving this moral issue. One perspective is utilitarianism, which advocates for the action that produces the greatest overall happiness or utility. According to utilitarianism, it would be morally permissible to pull the lever because saving five lives brings more overall happiness than sacrificing one life. However, this utilitarian view may overlook the importance of individual rights and the consequences of actively causing harm to someone.
Moral intuition, on the other hand, emphasizes our immediate emotional and moral responses to a situation. In the context of the Trolley Problem, moral intuition might lead someone to feel a hesitancy or moral aversion to actively causing harm to the one worker, even if it means saving more lives. This perspective highlights the innate sense of empathy and individual moral responsibility that guides our decision-making.
Kantian deontology, based on the philosophy of Immanuel Kant, focuses on adhering to universal moral rules or duties. From a Kantian perspective, pulling the lever would be morally impermissible because it treats the one worker merely as a means to an end, disregarding their intrinsic value and rights. Kantian deontology prioritizes the importance of treating individuals with respect and dignity, regardless of the consequences or utility.
Alternate versions of the Trolley Problem can further test these theories. For example, the 'Fat Man' version presents the situation where the only way to stop the trolley is by pushing a large person off a bridge to block its path. This version challenges the utilitarian perspective, as the action of actively causing harm to an innocent person may not outweigh the potential benefits of saving multiple lives.