Concepts
The Trolley Problem
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The trolley problem is a thought experiment in which a person must decide whether to divert a runaway trolley from a track where it will kill five people onto a track where it will kill one, testing whether sacrificing one life to save a greater number is morally justified. Philippa Foot formulated the original version in 1967 while analyzing the doctrine of double effect in the abortion debate; Judith Jarvis Thomson later named it the trolley problem in a 1976 article that launched an extensive philosophical literature.
Facts
Origin YearMarks Philippa Foot's original 1967 formulation; Judith Jarvis Thomson coined the name "the trolley problem" itself in a 1976 article. Cross-Tradition Connections
Sources
1. Trolley Problem (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIntroductionQuote, Introduction
The series usually begins with a scenario in which a runaway trolley (tram) or train is on course to collide with and kill a number of people.
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