Moderator: Greg
Ty Webb wrote:
You need to stop pretending that this is some kind of philosophical choice not to procreate and just admit you don't wear pants to the dentist.
Tom wrote:Situation A:
A Train is coming down the tracks. There are 4 workers on the track. They won't see the train, and the train won't see them until it's too late.
There is a switch. Pulling the switch will change the train from its current track (with the 4 workers), to one with only 1 worker on it. Do you pull the switch?
Situation B:
A Train is coming down the tracks. There are 4 workers on the track. They won't see the train, and the train won't see them until it's too late.
You are on a bridge over the track with a very large man. If you push the man over the track, it will stop the train and thus save the 4 workers. Do you push him?
Acura Commercial wrote:Sometimes, luxury needs to howl at the moon.
jimmy spako wrote:did you hear this one on radiolab?
i think i remember it from there, they observed brain states while asking the questions. believe that most people would flip the switch but hesitate to push the man. the corresponding brain states were very different.
of course rationally there is no difference. in both scenarios, you are actively using the other person's death to save four people. but the average person balks at pushing the fat dude.
i like to delude myself that there is a cool solution involving a bullwhip where everybody survives, but in reality i'd probably take too much time thinking about it & the four workers would get squashed.
B_M_L wrote:The difference is that in option 2 you could jump yourself. You don't have to kill someone innocent to save the lives of others.
In this senario would you push fatty? Or give your own life.
Tom wrote:And btw... I said very large, not fat.
He is not the fatty capitalist. He is the brawny worker.
Tom wrote:B_M_L wrote:The difference is that in option 2 you could jump yourself. You don't have to kill someone innocent to save the lives of others.
In this senario would you push fatty? Or give your own life.
Beat me to the punch.
You could try to land on the windshield of the train.
Heeby Jeeby wrote:Tom wrote:B_M_L wrote:The difference is that in option 2 you could jump yourself. You don't have to kill someone innocent to save the lives of others.
In this senario would you push fatty? Or give your own life.
Beat me to the punch.
You could try to land on the windshield of the train.
No fucking way. The situation described in the original post implies the 'large man' will stop the train. Linguistically you are lead to believe it is his large size that will stop the train not the engineer noticing. It's supposed to be a dilemma not a riddle.
If this is indeed the 'right' answer then it really is a good test...to find out what percentage of people are big fat fucking liars.
Go on someone be the first to say that they'd jump off on to the train to save the workers lives...
LIAR!
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