Final answer:
Supererogatory actions are optional and praiseworthy actions that go beyond duty, such as saving a drowning child at personal cost. Flipping a switch to save more lives is seen as obligatory, while taking organs from a healthy person is forbidden.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term supererogatory refers to actions that go beyond what is required by duty and often involve personal sacrifice. Such actions are not mandatory but are praiseworthy if performed. The most suitable option to describe supererogatory actions, given the choices, is B) Optional Actions.
Considering the given scenarios, here are the moral categorizations:
- Flipping the switch in the trolley dilemma is considered obligatory as it involves making a difficult decision to minimize harm by saving five people at the cost of one.
- Picking up the child drowning in the pond is permissible and would also be considered supererogatory, as it is not a legal requirement to save the child but is a commendable act involving personal sacrifice.
- Taking the healthy person's organs in the hospital scenario is forbidden under the duty of non-maleficence, as it violates the individual's rights and does not respect their autonomy.
Philosopher W.D. Ross highlights the importance of assessing the relative weights of different duties when they come into conflict. According to Ross, actions such as gratitude and reparation may be more pressing than promoting maximum good, and non-maleficence—a duty to avoid causing harm—is generally a weightier obligation.