The trolley problem and footbridge problem are ethical thought experiments involving life-or-death situations. Which of the following is true?
A)Both situations involve sacrificing one life to save multiple other lives.
B)The death in the trolley problem has greater perceived personal involvement.
C)Most people agree that it is unacceptable to act in either dilemma.
D)Thinking about the trolley problem results in greater emotional processing.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Both the trolley problem and the footbridge problem involve making a decision that could result in sacrificing one life to save multiple other lives. In the trolley problem, the decision is whether to divert the trolley onto a side track where only one person is standing, or to let it continue on its course and hit five people on the main track. In the footbridge problem, the decision is whether to push a large person off a bridge to stop a trolley heading towards five people tied to the track below. In both scenarios, the person making the decision is faced with the ethical dilemma of weighing the value of one life against the value of multiple lives.

The Trolley Problem and Footbridge Problem Are Ethical Thought Experiments