Introduction
The Trolley Problem is an ethical thought experiment that tests people’s moral judgment. It poses the question of whether allowing a trolley to continue on its course, killing five people, or diverting it and killing one person instead (Vsource, 2017). In this test, a bystander is supposed to be given the power to sidetrack the trolley by pulling a lever, sacrificing one person to save five. It has become a popular tool in philosophy and psychology to examine an individual’s ethical judgment in the face of a dilemma (Vsource, 2017). It has been used to explore the concept of utilitarianism, which is the idea that the greatest good for the greatest number of people should be the guiding principle in moral decision-making.
The ethical dilemma in the trolley problem is whether to sacrifice one life to save five lives. The dilemma is that, on one hand, it is morally wrong to take someone’s life, but on the other hand, five lives would be saved by acting. This dilemma forces an individual to make a difficult ethical decision between two conflicting values, the preservation of life and respect for human life. This dilemma becomes more complex because the decision is not personal but a moral judgment anyone can make. Thus, this dilemma requires one to balance the value of human life and the value of saving more lives and weigh the potential consequences of either choice.
Objective
The ethical dilemma will be analyzed through deontology, utilitarianism, and virtue ethics lenses. They will aid in determining whether it is permissible to sacrifice one life to save the lives of five. Utilitarianism will identify which action would produce the greatest good for the greatest number, while deontological theories will focus on respect for everyone’s autonomy and rights (Wood, 2019). Virtue ethics will focus on the character of the individual making the decision, while the contractual approach will emphasize the fairness of the decision (Wood, 2019). Therefore, these theories will help provide an ethical framework for making such a difficult decision.
Methods
Deontology
Deontology is an ethical theory that majors on the idea that certain actions are always right or wrong regardless of the consequences. It was designed by German philosopher Immanuel Kant in the 18th century (Wood, 2019). It focuses on the action rather than the outcome and believes that moral duties and obligations should be followed regardless of the outcome. This theory believes in universal moral laws and that everyone should be treated fairly and equally. It upholds the idea that actions should follow moral principles based on human rights and values (Wood, 2019). Additionally, deontology is based on the belief that the morality of an action is determined by its intrinsic principles rather than by its result. Thus, it is a consequentialist theory, which means that the morality of any action is determined by its effects.
Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that asserts that the right thing to do is the one that helps the most people. It was developed by Jeremy Bentham in the late 18th century (Wood, 2019). The theory is based on the idea that people should aim to maximize the total amount of pleasure and minimize the total amount of pain in the world. In addition, the theory is a form of consequentialism that prioritizes the outcomes of an action over its intentions or motivations (Wood, 2019). Thus, utilitarianism is usually used to analyze the morality of laws, policies, and decisions, as it offers a model for determining what is best for society.
Virtue Ethics
Virtue ethics is a moral theory that emphasizes the development of good character traits, such as kindness and wisdom. It was developed by the Greek philosopher Aristotle in the 4th century BC (Wood, 2019). The theory is based on the belief that being a good person is the most important goal and that moral actions should be based on virtues rather than rules or consequences. Virtue ethics is based on the idea that a person’s character is more important than actions (Wood, 2019). The emphasized virtues differ from culture to culture, but some examples include honesty, justice, courage, benevolence, and temperance. Therefore, virtue ethics is concerned with developing an individual’s character and cultivating good habits rather than focusing on specific actions or outcomes.
Results
Utilitarianism uses the ethical principle of utility to determine the morality of an action. The principle states that an action should be judged by its usefulness, such as its tendency to produce benefit, good, or pleasure (Wood, 2019). In the trolley problem, a utilitarian would consider which outcome would positively impact the greatest number of people. For example, the person has to decide between running over five people on the track or re-directing the trolley to a different track and running over one person. Based on this scenario, a utilitarian would decide to re-direct the trolley and run over one person since that would save five lives. Thus, the utilitarian would prioritize the greatest good for the most people, which means sacrificing one person’s life for the majority’s benefit.
Deontology focuses on the morality of an action being independent of its outcome. They would consider the principle of non-maleficence, or “do no harm,” when determining the best course of action (Wood, 2019). Based on this theory, both allowing the trolley to crash, killing five people, and diverting the trolley, killing one person, are immoral. To reason, according to deontology, one would decide that the best course of action is to take no action and allow the trolley to crash in whatever direction. This would be the most moral, as it does not involve actively killing anyone. A deontologist would not want to make a decision that would kill because the action is considered immoral.
Virtue ethics majors in developing the right virtues and character traits to make ethical decisions. This theory depends on the ethical principle of good character, which will lead to good decisions (Wood, 2019). In the Trolley Problem, someone reasoning according to this ethical theory would consider the virtues of wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance. They would decide which action will adhere to their moral principles. For example, suppose they choose to save the five people on the track. In that case, they must use wisdom to decide the best course of action, courage to do what is right even if it is difficult, justice to ensure their decision is fair, and temperance to make sure they do not act out of anger or fear. Thus, deciding which course of action to take would depend on the individual’s moral principles.
Discussion
The utilitarian theory provides the best response to the ethical dilemma of sacrificing one life to save the lives of five. This approach argues that the greatest good for the greatest number should be the guiding principle and that it is acceptable to sacrifice one life to save five. The strength of this approach is that it considers the greater good rather than just the interests of a single individual. It incentivizes the individual to weigh the consequences of their choice and consider the effects on the collective. It provides an objective and rational way of making decisions when faced with this dilemma.
Apart from the strengths, there are some weaknesses to this decision. A utilitarian approach to this ethical dilemma can be criticized for failing to consider the individual’s rights and autonomy. It could be argued that sacrificing one life for the sake of five is immoral, regardless of the outcome. This decision fails to account for the emotional and psychological effects of sacrificing one life to save five lives, which could have long-term implications for the individuals involved. However, there is a possibility that one would be vindicated by relying on the fact that they have saved five lives. Thus, despite the shortcomings, the utilitarian theory provides the most appropriate response to the dilemma.
Conclusion
The ethical dilemma of whether to sacrifice one life to save the lives of five presents a challenging situation without a conclusive response from utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics. From the three, utilitarianism provides the best approach to finding a solution to the issue. It shows that the best decision would be to save more lives because it would result in the greatest happiness. However, there is a need to address the psychological impact of the decision to kill one person and save five people.
Reference
Wood, N. (2019). Virtue rediscovered: Deontology, consequentialism, and virtue ethics in the contemporary moral landscape. Lexington Books.
Vsource. (2017). The Trolley Problem in Real Life [Video]. YouTube. Web.