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Absurd Trolley Problems

neal.fun

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Re: Absurd Trolley Problems

#71

Post by kadoban »

woodruffw wrote: post #18
thirdplace_ wrote: post #16

59% would sacrifice their own life for five people? Someone been messing with the votes.

I selected that one. Not because I'm particularly selfless, but because I think it's morally wrong to throw the switch whenever doing so amounts to killing someone, even when inaction results in more death.

What if the switch is a hair-trigger movement sensor, so you must stand very still not to trigger it?

Which one is "inaction" now, purposefully standing very still, or acting as you would have otherwise?

Re: Absurd Trolley Problems

#72

Post by TOGoS »

breuleux wrote: post #23

As a compatibilist, I don't know what to do with level 28 ("Oh no! A trolley problem is playing out before you. Do you actually have a choice in this situation? Or has everything been predetermined since the universe began"). Both statements can be true! Although I guess that means there is no choice :(

If you choose to click "everything has been predetermined", you still have made a choice.

-- Rush (paraphrased)

Re: Absurd Trolley Problems

#74

Post by robbomacrae »

Semaphor wrote: post #19

I wonder what the explanations are for 18, most people killed the robots. Assumption of backups? Or caring about your own species more?

Chickens are sentient. Would you have changed your answer if it were chickens?

I chose to save the human as the prompt didn't set a bar for the level of sentience. Also partly because of shameless speciesism. I love animals, have gone mostly vegetarian, but I would still save a human over any other animal.

Re: Absurd Trolley Problems

#75

Post by grayfaced »

I wonder what would happen for the bribe problem if the rich man wasn't on the track at all. I feel the unfairness of comparing the relative value of rich life vs poor life compels people to reject the bribe. But if it was simple bribe to kill with the other side being empty, then it becomes a measure of the worth of a life.

Re: Absurd Trolley Problems

#77

Post by vimacs2 »

DavStrijk78 wrote: post #60
irrational wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is that so hard to believe? There are innumerable stories of people sacrificing themselves for other people. Everything from throwing oneself onto a grenade to having kids.

Quoted post unavailable.

I'm a little confused by your rant when they clearly stated having kids as the sacrifice here - which makes a lot more intuitive sense than whatever antinatalist position you're projecting here onto them.

Also, while I'm firmly pro reproduction, this all sounds more than a little judgemental and presumptuous about the motivations of those that chose to not procreate.

Re: Absurd Trolley Problems

#78

Post by [deleted] »

Supermancho wrote: post #34
woodruffw wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I selected that one. Not because I'm particularly selfless, but because I think it's morally wrong to throw the switch whenever doing so amounts to killing someone, even when inaction results in more death.

I have a slightly different philosophy. I don't make a conscious choice to take action that will cause a stranger's death (even if more people die because I didn't take action) with exceptions for my monkeysphere. In the case of the worst enemy one, I didn't hesitate to run them over. In the case of self preservation, I chose to save myself. In the case of my best friend, other people are gonna die. Etc. It makes a l…

[deleted]

Re: Absurd Trolley Problems

#79

Post by x3n0ph3n3 »

breuleux wrote: post #23

As a compatibilist, I don't know what to do with level 28 ("Oh no! A trolley problem is playing out before you. Do you actually have a choice in this situation? Or has everything been predetermined since the universe began"). Both statements can be true! Although I guess that means there is no choice :(

Determinism doesn't mean that we don't _choose_. Free will is an incoherent idea, but choice still exists in a deterministic universe. Choice is just the outcome of that determinism.

Re: Absurd Trolley Problems

#80

Post by tbrownaw »

baskethead wrote: post #40

The thing is that when you pull the level, you're interfering so you're the cause of the consequence after pulling the lever. If you don't pull the lever, you're not responsible for what happens, at least in my opinion. That's why in the basic case of a trolley heading towards 5 people or 1 person, I wouldn't pull the level no matter what because at least the deaths of the 5 people aren't my fault, but the death of t…

Also known as the Copenhagen Interpretation of Ethics.
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