Something to muse over.

Yeah, I'm thinking a lot of people are missing the point of this thought experiment. Trying to warp the question or the narrative is missing the point.

Not pulling the lever or not pushing the fat man means you don't take responsibility for the 5 people that will die. We can't really be held responsible for things we don't do. The plants in my back garden died because they didn't get any water. The Queen didn't water the plants in my back garden, is she responsible? Of course not. It's the same thing, I think. That said, I would take the utilitarian, consequentialist view, and pull the lever. Whatever results in the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people is the most moral action in this instance.
 
CitizenGeek said:
I would take the utilitarian, consequentialist view, and pull the lever.
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This shows why this problem is academically interesting. To adopt a pure consequentialist stance would, ipso facto, demand one to push the fat man as well. Of course, this violates the deontological principle that one shouldn't directly kill an innocent person.

Thus, consequentialism and deontology do not demand the same action in each case, creating a puzzle for normative ethics.
(For the record, the position I currently adopt doesn't fall under any normative doctrines.)
 
Zin5ki said:
(For the record, the position I currently adopt doesn't fall under any normative doctrines.)
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You'd push the fat man but not pull the lever?

I don't really draw any distinction between either action which could be taken as they both have the same result. The only (superficial) difference is in how detached you are from the event.
 
An interesting ethical puzzle but the answer you generally receive would not be what the person would actual do in the situation. As you not truly facing the situation no one you can really say what you do or not do in that split second moment. You might be overcome with shock, react without truly thinking or have conflicting thoughts of what to do.

Also people lie to keep up their self image up, so a difficult question could just lead them to give the most rose tinted answer as possible.

I would like to think I would pull the switch in that situation, but who know what I would do in that situation. How about the Obese man or one of the five worker had wronged me in some way which could effect my decision to let them die in instead. No one would ever admit to letting people die for your own self interest in this situation.
 
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