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Trolley Problem Vs Transplant Surgeon Problem

896 Words4 Pages

There are many different forms of ethical theories that exist today and can be used to explain the reasoning behind human actions. For example, an individual has their own motives and intentions so that might cause them to act out differently than somebody else. Regardless of your intent, all behavior has consequences. The Utilitarianism point of view is a commonly used form that an action is morally correct if the outcome of that action is most favorable to the majority of people. 1. In the Trolley Problem a person has to choose between two outcomes. You can either let the train continue down the path and kill five people who have all been tied down to the track, or you can flip the switch that you have control over and divert the train to …show more content…

Both the Trolley Problem and the Transplant Surgeon Problem are situations that’s actions, or inactions, have consequences of life or death. With that being said I do have my own opinion that there is a correct choice in both hypothetical situations. In the Trolley Problem, I believe that it would be correct to pull the switch and save the lives of five people who were tied down. Some people argue that it was their fate to die on that track, but I don’t believe that because some evil being physically tied them down there against their will. For that reason, I believe that it would be better to save the lives of five innocent people at the expense of the one on the opposite track. It is the more favorable action that rescues more people because regardless of the decision somebody is going to die. Now, in the Transplant Surgeon Problem I think that the healthy man shouldn’t die. Even though, doing so has the potential of saving five lives I don’t think that it is the morally right thing to do. Just because he doesn’t have friends or family doesn’t mean that he can’t live his life happily or to its full potential. The man’s life shouldn’t be cut short because another human said so, just in order to save more people. I believe that in this situation if the surgeon killed the healthy man he would be messing with fate, which is wrong. Maybe those other five sick patients weren’t meant to live as harsh as that

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