1. Home ›
  2. Resources ›
  3. The Trolley Problem

The Trolley Problem

Trolley Problem Thumbnail

Source: Nigel Warburton
Affiliation: BBC Radio 4

In this video, BBC Radio 4 discusses the famous Trolley Problem. In this ethical thought experiment, you witness that a trolley is about to hit and kill 5 people, and you have access to a lever which can divert the course of the trolley, but it will then hit and kill 1 person; do you pull the lever? What if, instead of pulling a lever, you had to push someone into the tracks? This thought experiment makes one consider whether moral decisions are more about outcomes or the means taken to achieve those outcomes. 

Keywords: Ethical Frameworks , Ethics , Philosophy