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ragingloli's avatar

What do you think of this solution to the trolley problem?

Asked by ragingloli (52231points) October 23rd, 2022

The problem, just as a reminder, is that there is an oncoming trolley, and a fork in the tracks, with 4 people tied to one of the tracks, and 1 person on the other track. Do you pull the lever to divert the trolley to the track with the one person to save the 4 others?

You should of course not divert the trolley.
The 4 people have 4 times the probability to have the next Hitler among them, therefore you should let them die, to be more likely to prevent the next Holocaust.

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12 Answers

Zaku's avatar

There’s that. Also, it will reduce the human population more, which decreases their potential future contributions to climate change, ecosystem collapse, war, extinction of other species, etc.

janbb's avatar

You should probably hurry up and tie even more people to the track, loli!

kritiper's avatar

The probability of one of the four being a Hitler AND that that Hitler might promote the next holocaust are merely two assumptions that might not be true at all. Best to play the cards that present themselves now and kill the one to save the four.

Entropy's avatar

A toddler famously solved the trolley problem laid out by his philosopher father by taking the man from the side track to join the main track and then running the ALL over.

hat's avatar

The trolley problem is a pseudo moral dilemma. The answer should be: find the people who tied them all to the tracks and hang them in the common, then find the neoliberal monster who designed the trolley problem and do the same. It’s anti-public transportation moral relativist bullshit.

Blackwater_Park's avatar

I always said I’d pull the lever halfway to derail the train. The thinking is it saves everyone, but in reality it would probably kill a bunch of people on the train. If the fork is close enough to the people tied up it may get all of them too. Also part of the nearby town and damage to local ecosystems from the chemical and gas explosions from all the derailed train cars.

rebbel's avatar

If the tram has occupants in it I would either derail it (preferably by hitting the group of four on the tracks), or hit it with a bazooka.

Jeruba's avatar

While you’re dithering about which lever to pull, the next Hitler is being born in the U.S.

Meanwhile, I suggest pulling the lever to engage the brakes.

JLoon's avatar

Sounds like a Final Soltion.

But, I usually take an Uber.

LostInParadise's avatar

The four people are also more likely to include the next MLK.

flutherother's avatar

Let’s not forget that someone has tied these poor people to the tracks. Whoever it is is clearly a danger to the public and should be stopped.

Blackwater_Park's avatar

Some a-holes did this experiment in real life

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