In my MCCC Logic class tonight I'm introducing Chapter 9 of Vaughn on applying logic to moral reasoning.
I'll begin by asking the class to think about the famous "Trolley Problem," which goes like this.
A trolley is hurtling down a track, and if nobody intervenes it will hit and kill five people. Here are three scenarios:
· 1. The driver could switch the train to another track, on which one man stands. Should the driver reroute the trolley?
___yes
___no
·
· 2. Now suppose the trolley is driverless and you are a bystander. Should you hit a switch to divert the trolley so it hits the lone man?
___yes
___no
· 3. You are standing above the tracks on a bridge. You could stop the trolley and save the five people by pushing a large man to his death in front of the trolley. Would you push him?
___yes
___no
