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The Trolley Problem

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. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Origin Year
1967 1
Marks Philippa Foot's original 1967 formulation; Judith Jarvis Thomson coined the name "the trolley problem" itself in a 1976 article.
Connections

Associated With

Doctrine of Double Effect, Arguments and Positions
Utilitarianism, Schools of Philosophy

Wired as associated (testing-ground usage), not directional influence: the trolley problem is used across the literature to contrast utilitarian and duty-based judgments, not authored from utilitarianism.

Source Trolley Problem (Wikipedia)

In Branch

Ethics, Branches of Philosophy
Source Trolley Problem (Wikipedia)

Influenced By

Judith Jarvis Thomson, Philosophers
Source Trolley Problem (Wikipedia)
Philippa Foot, Philosophers
Source Trolley Problem (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Trolley Problem (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • 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.
  • Influenced By: Philippa Foot, Origin section
    The question of formulating a general principle that can account for the differing judgments arising in different variants of the story was raised in 1967 as part of an analysis of debates on abortion and the doctrine of double effect by the English philosopher Philippa Foot.
  • Influenced By: Judith Jarvis Thomson, Origin section
    Later dubbed 'the trolley problem' by Judith Jarvis Thomson in a 1976 article that catalyzed a large literature, the subject refers to the meta-problem of why different judgements are arrived at in particular instances.
  • Associated With: Utilitarianism, Ethical frameworks section
    A utilitarian view asserts that it is obligatory to steer to the track with one man on it.
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the trolley problem?

A thought experiment testing whether it is justified to divert a runaway trolley so it kills one person instead of five.

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.
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