patient file 003 [text]

[ornithophobia.livejournal.com]

A trolley is running out of control down a track towards five workers who can't be warned in time.  You are standing within reach of a lever that could divert the trolley to a siding, but there is a single workman there.  Would you pull the lever and kill one to save five?

Suppose a very fat workman (large enough to stop the train) was on a bridge with you and you could save the men only by pushing him onto the tracks yourself?

Or suppose that you could throw a switch to drop the fat man on the tracks, thus not actually physically pushing him?


( choices, choices )