Reference no: EM131735420

Oh my. It was difficult to make the choice about throwing the switch. I think most opted to sacrifice 1 life to save 5, but many of you glimpsed the difficulties inherent in making that choice. So here's another - and before you spend a bunch of ink thinking up ways to avoid answering the question - let me tell you, nobody can hear you yelling at them. They are all well-trained workers with the right safety equipment, but despite all that, they are all STILL GONNA DIE if the trolley continues on its path. So, if this makes you squeamish, then that's OK; it just proves you're human. Be thankful! So, here's the new situation: You are on the same bridge over the same tracks. The runaway trolley is approaching. However, this time, there's no switch to throw. Instead, there's a very fat man sitting on the bridge railing facing the 5 people in danger. You don't know him or know anything about him. He's kind of wobbly sitting there, but he's big enough that - if you stepped behind him and pushed him off - he'd fall on the tracks and his body would stop the runaway trolley. Of course he'd certainly be killed. And, this happens to be something you could very easily do. He's got headphones on and wouldn't hear you coming. Do you do it? Talk about how this decision is like or unlike your previous one. Does it make you re-think your decision in the first problem?