The Trolley Problem

[EJ]

Let the train kill the five, then pull the lever so the next train kills the other one.

[LoathedVermin72]

Yes

[BurtReynolds]

what if, instead of a lever, you could push someone in the way, causing the trolley to stop or derail before killing 5 people?

[JuanHamm]

what if, instead of a lever, you could push someone in the way, causing the trolley to stop or derail before killing 5 people?

Interesting.

I think I would pull the lever, but not push it the person off the bridge. It definitely feels more like a murder if I push the guy.

[bart]

Burt you are veering into 2010-era corduroy blazer territory.

[BurtReynolds]

Burt you are veering into 2010-era corduroy blazer territory.

is that the tarot card guy?

[LoathedVermin72]

what if, instead of a lever, you could push someone in the way, causing the trolley to stop or derail before killing 5 people?

This is more like the transplant problem. And I definitely wouldn’t push the person.

Also, you could always jump yourself. Also, that wouldn’t derail a train.

[washing machine]

[Simple Torture]

So you're on a game show and there are three doors

[BurtReynolds]

[simple schoolboy]

Isn't the trolley problem really about light rail running at street level being a terrible mode of transit? You wouldn't have so many interactions with pedestrians if you were elevated or in a subway. Also, street level light rail takes away from, say, bus only lanes that would have far greater throughput and a far lesser cost. (and probably shorter braking distances)

[Green Habit]

Burt you are veering into 2010-era corduroy blazer territory.

Ceebs has really clarified his philosophy since then.

[Green Habit]

Isn't the trolley problem really about light rail running at street level being a terrible mode of transit? You wouldn't have so many interactions with pedestrians if you were elevated or in a subway. Also, street level light rail takes away from, say, bus only lanes that would have far greater throughput and a far lesser cost. (and probably shorter braking distances)

You could easily rewrite this silly dilemma to place you in a car you're driving too fucking fast, and the accelerator gets stuck down on the floor, if you wanted to make a pro-mass transit screed.

[Dscans]

Burt, did you just read Moral Tribes or something?

[Dscans]

I hate these types of fabricated dilemmas. This is the kind of thing that gets me itching to rant about the problems with the "effective altruism" movement.

I'm actually really interested in your effective altruism take.

[Superblood Wolfmoon]

In the simplest terms, given these are the only two choices and outcomes, obviously most people would pull the lever to spare more lives.

If you want to make this interesting you need to assign more “value” to the one person, i.e. it’s a child or less “value” to the five i.e. they’re convicted violent criminals.

[LoathedVermin72]

In the simplest terms, given these are the only two choices and outcomes, obviously most people would pull the lever to spare more lives.

If you want to make this interesting you need to assign more “value” to the one person, i.e. it’s a child or less “value” to the five i.e. they’re convicted violent criminals.

[spike]

footage courtesy of the LoathedVermin72 personal archives

[Norah]

what if, instead of a lever, you could push someone in the way, causing the trolley to stop or derail before killing 5 people?

Throw yourself over instead you coward.

[Norah]

So you're on a game show and there are three doors

yessssss