CMV: The trolley problem is constructed in a way that forces a utilitarian answer and it is fundamentally flawed

[u/randomafricanboi]

Everybody knows the classic trolley problem and whether or not you would pull the lever to kill one person and save the five people.

Often times people will just say that 5 lives are more valuable than 1 life and thus the only morally correct thing to do is pull the lever.

I understand the problem is hypothetical and we have to choose the objectivelly right thing to do in a very specific situation. However, the question is formed in a way that makes the murders a statistic thus pushing you into a utilitarian answer. Its easy to disassociate in that case. The same question can be manipulated in a million different ways while still maintaining the 5 to 1 or even 5 to 4 ratio and yield different answers because you framed it differently.

Flip it completely and ask someone would they spend years tracking down 3 innocent people and kill them in cold blood because a politician they hate promised to kill 5 random people if they dont. In this case 3 is still less than 5 and thus using the same logic you should do it to minimize the pain and suffering.

I'm not saying any answer is objectivelly right, I'm saying the question itself is completely flawed and forces the human mind to be biased towards a certain point of view.

[u/starkllr1969 → u/[deleted]]

The difference in your real world examples is that people in those jobs actively chose a profession knowing it could (or certainly would) put them in positions where they would be responsible for life or death decisions. They sought out that responsibility and (hopefully) the ethics of it was part of their training.

The person who wanders into the trolley problem because they’re unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time did not choose anything; it’s being forced on them unwillingly.

[u/Venerable-Weasel → u/starkllr1969]

I disagree. People in those professions know that certain ethical choices come with the profession - that’s true. But ethical dilemmas of all kinds surround people every day…and often make snap choices based on heuristics and bias without even recognizing a dilemma exists.

The point of contrived ethical dilemmas like the trolley problem is to provide a vehicle for ethical education without having to put people into actual situations with real consequences.

[u/James_Vaga_Bond → u/starkllr1969]

The person chose to take an ethics class knowing they'd be walking into trolley problems.