The Trolley Problem
Religious Studies: KS3, topic 3.1.1
The Trolley Problem
What's the right thing to do?
The Trolley Problem
- The Trolley Problem is a famous thought experiment used in ethics.
- The Trolley Problem was first created in 1967 by Philippa Foot, a British philosopher.
- It was later made even more famous by Judith Jarvis Thomson, an American philosopher.
Ethical dilemmas
- The Trolley Problem is not a real situation but an example of an ethical dilemma.
- An ethical dilemma is a situation in which all available options have moral advantages and disadvantages.
The scenario
- Imagine you’re standing by a railway track. A runaway trolley (a small train carriage) is speeding towards five people who are stuck on the track and cannot move.
- You are standing next to a lever that can change the trolley onto a different track.
The options
- Option A: Do nothing, the trolley continues Track 1 and kills the five people.
- Option B: Pull the level so the trolley will switch to Track 2, but there is one person stuck on that track who will die instead.
Who is to blame?
- Is the person near the lever to blame for whatever happens?
- Perhaps it was best for that person to keep out of it.
- Is it simply a matter of numbers?
- Is there a difference between letting people die and deliberately killing someone?
Test yourself on The Trolley Problem
Who originally created the Trolley Problem in 1967?
In the Trolley Problem, what happens if you choose Option B and pull the lever?
Select the correct statement for each pair.
Why is the Trolley Problem described as an ethical dilemma?
Select the correct statement for each pair.