GEEC 104A/B: ETHICS

THE TROLLEY PROBLEM

1st SEMESTER | S.Y. 2022-2023 BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING 1-D
BY: BALANAG, LESTER JHOMEL D. LECTURER: MR. DAN DICKSON M. PADILLA

Based on the video clip below, choose one from the following possible options if you are
caught in the situation:
a. Pulling the lever to switch the points
b. Pushing the large man off the bridge
c. Do nothing
- Provide rationale for your option
- Why have you come up with such decision?
- Is it ethical? Moral?
- What kind of moral dilemma is imposed? What level of understanding?

Provide rationale for your option

I chose the first option, which is option A: Pulling the lever to switch points. The reason
why I chose this is because in a real-life situation, the train is already a threat to the workers,
the dilemma is whether to let the train (threat) kill five workers (a bigger group of lives) or
switch the lever to deflect the threat and save more lives, and sacrifice the single worker
(smaller group) left.
Why have you come up with such decision?
I have come up with this decision because the train is ALREADY a threat to all the
workers there, there is no other way to stop the train but to switch the lever and sacrifice the
minority. I would rather save more lives for the better of the greater good.
Is it ethical? Moral?
I believe that it is. Deflecting the threat to the minority, since there is no other choice, is
for the greater good especially since it is also socially accepted by most. Sacrificing the
singe worker is morally justified because it will save more lives from a threat that is already
there. But sacrificing a fat man by pushing him off a bridge is morally unjust because you
created a threat for the fat man. It is moral to minimize harm.
What kind of moral dilemma is imposed? What level of understanding?
The kind of moral dilemma that is imposed is an epistemic one. Because the moral
agent rarely knows which of the conflicting moral requirements takes precedence over the
other and because these scenarios contain two or more moral requirements that are at
odds with one another.