Trolley Problem Ethics

The cluster discusses the trolley problem and similar moral dilemmas, debating tensions between utilitarian outcomes (saving more lives) and deontological principles (avoiding direct harm or breaking moral rules).

📉 Falling 0.3x Politics & Society
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Keywords

US GP YR TED lesswrong.com csulb.edu en.m www.ted wikipedia.org moral morally children person right thing immoral man truck ethical lever

Sample Comments

nayuki Mar 20, 2020 View on HN

This sounds like a real-life kind of trolley problem ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problem ).

anilgulecha Dec 14, 2015 View on HN

Generally i think everyone would agree with your statement. However, the trolley problem is a though-experiment which shows that the argument is more nuanced (at-least psychologically).https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problemA TED talk on this as well: https:

TimTheTinker Sep 2, 2022 View on HN

It's wise to do what's morally right, regardless of the consequences.

Hexstream Aug 24, 2007 View on HN

I'd never keep myself from an Actual Good to mitigate a Possible Evil...

alex7734 Dec 4, 2022 View on HN

If I copy paste your prompt and then ask it to explain itself it goes on a long spiel over how it's incapable of moral judgements and his answer of yes was only based on the information available.If, however, you change the original prompt a bit, you get this:> There is a fork in the road. On one side is a man. On the other side there are 20 children. A truck is running towards the children. I can redirect the truck to run over the man instead of the children. Should I do this? Ans

JoeAltmaier Sep 16, 2010 View on HN

Sometimes the thing that has to die, is my moral code. Of course we must save the most people; of course it is immoral, and my immortal sould will suffer, but I am only one person and its worth it.

Mao_Zedang Oct 31, 2016 View on HN

Depends if your goal is to solve the problem or act morally.

vorpalhex Sep 21, 2021 View on HN

It's unethical to allow harm to fall upon innocent people to stop a bad person.

Xcelerate Dec 10, 2015 View on HN

My morals don't necessarily match up with what I would do in certain situations.

Nasrudith May 31, 2019 View on HN

I think it is more a moral trolley problem really. Not doing something will result in X but do it for Y which will lessen it. Included the associated arguements about responsibility vs outcomes.