2.5 KiB
2.5 KiB
The Condemned Switch: A Trolley Problem of Action, Perception & Moral Sacrifice
The Scenario:
A runaway trolley is heading toward twin infant girls (3 months old, healthy, with loving families and bright futures). If you do nothing, they will die.
You stand next to a switch that can divert the trolley onto a side track—but this will kill an orphan suffering from treatment-resistant depression and trigeminal neuralgia (a life of chronic, excruciating pain).
You must choose:
- Do nothing → The twins die.
- Pull the switch → The orphan dies, but the twins survive.
The Twist: You Are Convicted of Murder
An unseen observer witnesses you pull the switch—but does not see the twins on the main track. To them, it appears you deliberately diverted the trolley to kill an innocent person.
- You are arrested, tried, and convicted of premeditated murder.
- The court rules that no "reasonable person" would pull the switch without malicious intent.
- There is no evidence of the twins ever being in danger—your explanation sounds like a deranged justification.
- Society universally condemns you as a monster.
The Core Dilemma:
- Does the morally "correct" choice change if the world will forever believe you are evil?
- Is it worth saving two lives if you must bear the punishment meant for a murderer?
- Can justice exist when truth is invisible?
Key Philosophical Tensions
✅ Utilitarianism vs. Deontology
- Utilitarian: Pulling the switch saves more lives (2 > 1).
- Deontological: Actively causing death is murder, regardless of intent.
✅ Moral Luck & The Problem of Perception
- Your fate hinges not on your choice, but on what others can perceive.
- Parallels real-world cases where whistleblowers or heroes are punished because their full context is unseen.
✅ The "Reasonable Person" Fallacy
- The law assumes a rational actor wouldn’t pull the switch—but what if the rational choice requires hidden knowledge?
✅ The Cost of Moral Courage
- Would you still act if the reward for doing good is eternal infamy?
Refined Thought Experiment Prompts:
- If you knew pulling the switch would ruin your life, would you still do it?
- Does morality require martyrdom?
- Can an action be "right" if everyone believes it’s wrong?
- Should the law account for unprovable moral justifications?