-- Posted by noraa at 7:47 pm on Sep. 9, 2008 There is a fork in the road of a train track. The train has always gone on one end of the track, but you now have a lever controlling which way the train goes. Five of your close family members/close friends besides your mom are walking on the road where the train has always gone fully aware of it. Your mother is walking on the other end of the train tracks, thinking that the train won't come her direction. Either way, somebody will die, they don't have time to jump off of the tracks. Do you pull the lever? -- Posted by barnabas at 7:48 pm on Sep. 9, 2008 why is that a difficult decision. Save more people. -- Posted by exceedinglyrare at 7:50 pm on Sep. 9, 2008 There's already a topic that's almost exactly like this. There's also the fact that ethical dilemmas are made of fail. You're never going to be in a situation like this; they only serve to make you beat yourself (or have others beat you up) for no good reason. -- Posted by dragonxgnome4 at 7:50 pm on Sep. 9, 2008 I don't really think this is an intellectual question, it's more emotional. I would let my mother die. But, I guess this question has more effect for someone with a good relationship with their mothers, then its just a question of math really. Saving more lives of people just as important. -- Posted by marshmellowman at 7:50 pm on Sep. 9, 2008 This is not even an intellectual question but just plays on ridiculous ethical dilemmas. -- Posted by senorita smirnoff at 8:12 pm on Sep. 9, 2008 this is stupid,  they wouldnt be walking on the track, they know the train goes there, theyd be off partying with the mother.... duh -- Posted by the real anti christ at 9:03 pm on Sep. 9, 2008 Based on the fact that the five people are fully aware and your mom is not you do not change the course. -- Posted by allsmiles at 4:23 am on Sep. 10, 2008 I don't understand... why aren't ethical dilemmas intellectual? Morality is a large part of what makes us human. Studying and comprehending it is quite significant. -- Posted by exceedinglyrare at 4:44 am on Sep. 10, 2008 Quote: from allsmiles at 7:23 am on Sep. 10, 2008 I don't understand... why aren't ethical dilemmas intellectual? Morality is a large part of what makes us human. Studying and comprehending it is quite significant. First because they don't honestly reflect what people would really do in that kind of situation because those situations simply don't exist. Second because the responses are rarely based on logic and reasoning and usually based on an emotional response, whether people want to admit to that or not. -- Posted by nikki at 9:35 am on Sep. 10, 2008 If you were in this kind of situation, you would NOT have time to even think about it. It's a split-second decision, however you want to look at it. Nobody here can say they know what they'd do. -- Posted by exceedinglyrare at 10:25 am on Sep. 10, 2008 Quote: from Nikki at 12:35 pm on Sep. 10, 2008 If you were in this kind of situation, you would NOT have time to even think about it. It's a split-second decision, however you want to look at it. Nobody here can say they know what they'd do. There's that, too. -- Posted by playboyfreak456 at 11:55 am on Sep. 10, 2008 I would choose to save my close family. I love my mom and all, but my other family memembers have had more of an impact on my life. -- Posted by the real anti christ at 12:11 pm on Sep. 10, 2008 Quote: from playboyfreak456 at 1:55 pm on Sep. 10, 2008 I would choose to save my close family. I love my mom and all, but my other family memembers have had more of an impact on my life. But they know what they are doing and she dosen't -- Posted by Drace at 8:07 pm on Sep. 11, 2008 To put my piece on it. Mortality does not exist and its just a matter of whatever the hell happens. For mortality to make sense, you must have the "end goal". That is, what it is that we are suppose to achieve. If it is a peaceful humane society, the question is whether that moral lets us achieve this. For this situation, its quite tricky. You must find what you think is best of the result, and go with that. Mortality is not an entity you can point at. -- Posted by medjai at 8:18 pm on Sep. 11, 2008 This is only difficult if you assume absolute morals. I don't, I'd do whatever I felt I'd regret least at the time. -- Posted by TRIPonME at 2:59 am on Sep. 24, 2008 That is such a classical example of an ethical dilemma. But seriously, I never found any point in trying to think over these "what will you do" questions.  Although we may be able to explore ALL the possibilities, pros, and cons of the choices we can take, the practical decision that needs to be make transcends all of those thoughts. The study of ethics considers the theoretical choices that we can make, and considering how trivial this question is and how impractical it is...it's certainly NOT an intellectual question. -- Posted by snowfish at 9:04 am on Sep. 25, 2008 better question: why do ethical dilemmas always involve trains? -- Posted by whoami111 at 5:53 pm on Sep. 25, 2008 Morality is man made. It does not really exist. Ethical values has nothing to do with intelligence. -- Posted by Assaultrifle at 5:14 pm on Sep. 30, 2008 Here's the bigger question- if no one has time to jump off the tracks, how come I have time to pull the lever?