Saw this on Buzzfeed. Thought it could make for fun discussionhere...

You're a railroad conductor with control over a lever that switches rail traffic between two tracks. As an unstoppable, speeding train approaches, how do you deal with the following choices. (For the purposes of this discussion, assume there is no way to communicate with other involved parties.)

Scenario 1:

Track 1 has no people standing on it; track 2 has five people standing on it, entirely unaware of the oncoming train. Onto which track do you divert the train, and why?

Scenario 2:

Track 1 has one person standing on it; track 2 has five people standing on it. Onto which track do you divert the train, and why?

Scenario 3:

Track 1 has one person standing on it... who happens to be a relative of yours; track two has five people standing on it. Onto which track do you divert the train and why?

There literally would be no time to think it through. In every case this would likely be my knee jerk reaction:

Scenario 1:

Track 1 - kill no one


Scenario 2:

Track 1 - kill one

Scenario 3:

Track 2 - kill the 5 to save 1

I have no other reasoning other than it would just happen automatically. It would be an automatic reaction to divert from a person you knew. I strongly believe it would just happen.

Scenario 1:

Track 1 - kill no one


Scenario 2:

Track 1 - kill one

Scenario 3:

we have to discuss which relative

is on the track...

........................................................................................................................

now lets take a more realistic view of this

exercise and me...

i believe in suvival of the fittest

and natural selection...

since i wouldn't be a conductor

i wouldn't have a dog in any but one fight.

i would watch to see which way the train went...

and lay odds that it would go in the direction

that would cause the most damage...

JustErin said:

Scenario 3:

Track 2 - kill the 5 to save 1

I have no other reasoning other than it would just happen automatically. It would be an automatic reaction to divert from a person you knew. I strongly believe it would just happen.

I respect your honesty. Let's assume you have a bit of time to consider the choice (i.e. it's not just an automatic reaction). Does this change the outcome?

Lammastide said:

JustErin said:

Scenario 3:

Track 2 - kill the 5 to save 1

I have no other reasoning other than it would just happen automatically. It would be an automatic reaction to divert from a person you knew. I strongly believe it would just happen.

I respect your honesty. Let's assume you have a bit of time to consider the choice (i.e. it's not just an automatic reaction). Does this change the outcome?

I honestly don't think so. Again, I don't think my physical body would allow it even though I agreed (and I do agree) that it is better to sacrifice 1 to save 5.

I think most would have a harder time than they might think they would. A (good) connection with someone has a lot more power than maybe some would be willing to admit. I don't even think it would have to be family to save them - just someone we knew (and liked) as opposed to those unknown faces.

[Edited 1/18/16 13:03pm]

KingBAD said:

Scenario 1:

Track 1 - kill no one


Scenario 2:

Track 1 - kill one

Scenario 3:

we have to discuss which relative

is on the track...

........................................................................................................................

now lets take a more realistic view of this

exercise and me...

i believe in suvival of the fittest

and natural selection...

since i wouldn't be a conductor

i wouldn't have a dog in any but one fight.

i would watch to see which way the train went...

and lay odds that it would go in the direction

that would cause the most damage...

Game respects game.

I think JustErin summed it up. Personally, I don't have many that I consider relatives to be that choosy about. If I don't know them, then to me they're strangers and if I do know them I'd see myself picking them over strangers.

RodeoSchro said:

KingBAD said:

Scenario 1:

Track 1 - kill no one


Scenario 2:

Track 1 - kill one

Scenario 3:

we have to discuss which relative

is on the track...

........................................................................................................................

now lets take a more realistic view of this

exercise and me...

i believe in suvival of the fittest

and natural selection...

since i wouldn't be a conductor

i wouldn't have a dog in any but one fight.

i would watch to see which way the train went...

and lay odds that it would go in the direction

that would cause the most damage...

Game respects game.

i really have no moral compass

and erthing is a form of entertainment...

I just watch the whole thing, must be fun to watch.

KingBAD said:

Scenario 3:

we have to discuss which relative

is on the track...

is the train coming toward me?????? what is behind track 1? what kind of neighborhood? industrial or residential? i might be reading more into this than i should.

Track 1 has no people standing on it; track 2 has five people standing on it, entirely unaware of the oncoming train. Onto which track do you divert the train, and why?

Track 1 has one person standing on it; track 2 has five people standing on it. Onto which track do you divert the train, and why?

Track 1 has one person standing on it... who happens to be a relative of yours; track two has five people standing on it. Onto which track do you divert the train and why?

[Edited 1/19/16 6:34am]

The world would be much better off without 5 dummies so brilliant as to be standing on a train track.

Cancel Xmas.

1: kill noone

2: kill 1

3: depending on the relative, but if it was my boyfriend for example, i think my automatic reaction would be kill 5. With other relatives i don't know. i think knowing someone makes somebody much bigger, you have an emotional attachment. So in a lot of cases i would kill 5.

XxAxX said:

is the train coming toward me?????? what is behind track 1? what kind of neighborhood? industrial or residential? i might be reading more into this than i should.

Track 1 has no people standing on it; track 2 has five people standing on it, entirely unaware of the oncoming train. Onto which track do you divert the train, and why?

Track 1 has one person standing on it; track 2 has five people standing on it. Onto which track do you divert the train, and why?

Track 1 has one person standing on it... who happens to be a relative of yours; track two has five people standing on it. Onto which track do you divert the train and why?

[Edited 1/19/16 6:34am]

Quit asking so many questions!

I agree most people would probably give deference to someone they know. Let me attempt to make this tougher...

Scenario 3:

Track 1 has one person standing on it... who happens to be a relative of yours; track two has 20 unattended babies. Onto which track do you divert the train and why?

Lammastide said:

XxAxX said:

is the train coming toward me?????? what is behind track 1? what kind of neighborhood? industrial or residential? i might be reading more into this than i should.

Track 1 has no people standing on it; track 2 has five people standing on it, entirely unaware of the oncoming train. Onto which track do you divert the train, and why?

Track 1 has one person standing on it; track 2 has five people standing on it. Onto which track do you divert the train, and why?

Track 1 has one person standing on it... who happens to be a relative of yours; track two has five people standing on it. Onto which track do you divert the train and why?

[Edited 1/19/16 6:34am]

Quit asking so many questions!

.

fine.

You're a railroad conductor with control over a lever that switches rail traffic between two tracks. As an unstoppable, speeding train approaches, how do you deal with the following choices. (For the purposes of this discussion, assume there is no way to communicate with other involved parties.)

.

Scenario 1:

Track 1 has no people standing on it; track 2 has five people standing on it, entirely unaware of the oncoming train. Onto which track do you divert the train, and why?

because track 1 is unfinished (no one standing on it) and track 2 is inhabited so i divert the train onto quantum track three which rises from the ground on a launch trajectory then send the train into space orbit where it will be used to collect meteorite

Scenario 2:

Track 1 has one person standing on it; track 2 has five people standing on it. Onto which track do you divert the train, and why?

please see above.

Scenario 3:

Track 1 has one person standing on it... who happens to be a relative of yours; track two has five people standing on it. Onto which track do you divert the train and why?

please see above.

Lammastide said:

I agree most people would probably give deference to someone they know. Let me attempt to make this tougher...

Scenario 3:

Track 1 has one person standing on it... who happens to be a relative of yours; track two has 20 unattended babies. Onto which track do you divert the train and why?

Go to Rome already.

Lammastide said:

I agree most people would probably give deference to someone they know. Let me attempt to make this tougher...

Scenario 3:

Track 1 has one person standing on it... who happens to be a relative of yours; track two has 20 unattended babies. Onto which track do you divert the train and why?

I would save the relative of mine. But, only because if a train is already coming, it would be impossible to move all 20 babies, maybe even just one. So I would save my relative, but (tbh) live the rest of my life guilt-ridden and sad about the whole situation and the death of the babies.

the correct answer to all 3: it dosn't matter the train being unstopable will in do corse destroy the world killing all people and then go on to kill (in due time) all life in the universe....

The real question is: is it moral to take an action switching the train from killing the 5 to killing the 1.

Now if we assume that all the people are of equal value and equally innocent or guilty of being on the tracks (that is if the 1 is on a track that he knows is not scheduled to be used and has a legitimate reason to be there... and the 5 ignored warnings or may have actually broken a law to be there) I am not sure it matters... you are still taking an action that would kill the one when the one would not be killed.

or if the question was if no choice is made then they all die...

as to the last... I would hope i would not let the connection to the one sway my action.

Graycap23 said:

The world would be much better off without 5 dummies so brilliant as to be standing on a train track.

Cancel Xmas.

love that "natural selection"

Scenario 1:

Track 1 has no people standing on it; track 2 has five people standing on it, entirely unaware of the oncoming train. Onto which track do you divert the train, and why?

i do nothing...

if things go accordin to the bets i'm takin on how this gonna go down, i'm layin las vegas odds the train gonna take the five route... i have no obligation to do anything except collect on my bets (may even add to the body count about money) sad ain't it?

Scenario 2:

Track 1 has one person standing on it; track 2 has five people standing on it. Onto which track do you divert the train, and why?

yeah, we still workin the same as the first scenario...

the diference here is no matter that i won't participate in the killin,

either thing i could do would have me up on murder charges anyway

and the fact that i couldn't stop laffin wouldn't help things one bit...

Scenario 3:

Track 1 has one person standing on it... who happens to be a relative of yours; track two has five people standing on it. Onto which track do you divert the train and why?

it would be way easier to make the case that i had ill intent toward a relative than the five

so AGAIN luckily i would do nothin BECAUSE the relatives i care for are "top of the food chain" type folks that, like me'self, can dodge bullets.... so should i lose my bet and the train DID go that way it wouldn't kill nobody...

my bet will always remain on the train (un assisted) will always take the direct pathway to the five idiots... even trains dislike stoopid people...

speakin of stoopid people....

wait for it, wait for it....

Lammastide said:

I agree most people would probably give deference to someone they know. Let me attempt to make this tougher...

Scenario 3:

Track 1 has one person standing on it... who happens to be a relative of yours; track two has 20 unattended babies. Onto which track do you divert the train and why?

com'ON maaaaaaaaaaaaan!!!

when's the next time imma get a chance

to see a train run over 20 babies again ????

Lammastide said:

I agree most people would probably give deference to someone they know. Let me attempt to make this tougher...

Scenario 3:

Track 1 has one person standing on it... who happens to be a relative of yours; track two has 20 unattended babies. Onto which track do you divert the train and why?

Oh, sweet fucking Jesus. I dunno...

JustErin said:

Lammastide said:

I agree most people would probably give deference to someone they know. Let me attempt to make this tougher...

Scenario 3:

Track 1 has one person standing on it... who happens to be a relative of yours; track two has 20 unattended babies. Onto which track do you divert the train and why?

Oh, sweet fucking Jesus. I dunno...

YEAH RIGHT???

i mean when would you get

another opportunity to see

mashed babies???

MASHED BABIES I SAY!!!

morningsong said:

Lammastide said:

I agree most people would probably give deference to someone they know. Let me attempt to make this tougher...

Scenario 3:

Track 1 has one person standing on it... who happens to be a relative of yours; track two has 20 unattended babies. Onto which track do you divert the train and why?

Go to Rome already.

JustErin said:

Lammastide said:

I agree most people would probably give deference to someone they know. Let me attempt to make this tougher...

Scenario 3:

Track 1 has one person standing on it... who happens to be a relative of yours; track two has 20 unattended babies. Onto which track do you divert the train and why?

Oh, sweet fucking Jesus. I dunno...

You guys made me do this.