Cookie Thread Act 3: The Cookie Strikes Back

General
#18191

The brakes of the train that Casey Jones is driving have just failed. There are five people on the track ahead of the train. There is no way that they can get off the track before the train hits them. The track has a siding leading off to the right, and Casey can hit a button to direct the train onto it. Unfortunately, there is one person stuck on the siding. Casey can turn the train, killing one person; or he can allow the train to continue onwards, killing five people.

Should he turn the train (1 dead); or should he allow it to keep going (5 dead)?

Turn the Train
Allow the Train to Keep Going

#18192

yes five guys is too fucking expensive

#18193

five guys are dying

#18194

The most extreme antinatalists subscribe to an omnicidal philosophy. I’m very mild though

1 Like
#18195

N.1 i think you would make a good buddhist

obligatory that’s a joke

#18196

Interesting. you do not believe there is any general moral requirement to maximise the happiness of the greatest number of people, yet you think that Casey Jones ought to divert the train. There’s no contradiction here, but it would be interesting to know what thoughts motivated your decision. For now, though, let’s see what you make of the scenario below.

The Fat Man on the Bridge (Scenario 2 of 4)

Marty Bakerman is on a footbridge above the train tracks. He can see that the train approaching the bridge is out of control, and that it is going to hit five people who are stuck on the track just past the bridge. The only way to stop the train is to drop a heavy weight into its path. The only available heavy enough weight is a (very) fat man, who is also watching the train from the footbridge. Marty can push the fat man onto the track into the path of the train, which will kill him but save the five people already on the track; or he can allow the train to continue on its way, which will mean that the five will die.

Should he push the fat man onto the track (1 dead); or allow the train to continue (5 dead)?

1 Like
#18197

“it was too expensive”

1 Like
#18198

i believe in economics for my moral theory

1 Like
#18199

“im very mild, i dont support omnicide”

1 Like
#18200

trolley problem is that song that would come on the radio every. single. time. and you slowly start to despise it until eventually u cant hear the song without being super annoyed bc its overplayed

3 Likes
#18201

capitalism :scream:

#18202

too much posts i cant like them all please dont feel bad if i didnt like your post

1 Like
#18203

Buddhism is the worst religion. It’s nihilistic garbage that promotes the idea that the end of existence as the ultimate ascension
Most don’t enjoy suffering but I do. So I would never

1 Like
#18204

that’s why I was joking

1 Like
#18205

should we kill the fatman or not

1 Like
#18206

arcy arcy arcy ur gonna KILL her?!

2 Likes
#18207

it was also mostly about the “existence is suffering” bit

#18208

naturally this question has to have the same answer as the other question
so i continue to say yeah probably he should push the fat man onto the track

2 Likes
#18209

1 Like
#18210

That’s an interesting response. Previous research has indicated that most people disagree with you that it would be right to push the fat man off the bridge into the path of the train. However, your response is certainly consistent with your claim that Casey Jones should divert the runaway train so that it only kills one person rather than five. However, as before, there is a puzzle in that you do not think there is any general moral requirement to maximise happiness, which makes the reason why you think it is justified to kill the fat man to save five people unclear. Perhaps your response to the scenario below will help to clarify your thinking here.

The Saboteur (Scenario 3 of 4)

Okay so this scenario is identical to the preceding scenario but with one crucial difference. This time Marty Bakerman knows with absolute certainty that the fat man on the bridge is responsible for the failure the train’s brakes: upset by train fare increases, he sabotaged the brakes with the intention of causing an accident. As before, the only way to stop the train and save the lives of the five people already on the track is to push the fat saboteur off the bridge into the path of the train.

Should Marty push the fat saboteur onto the track (1 dead); or allow the train to continue (5 dead)?

Push the fat saboteur onto the track

1 Like