- Question
What is the answer to the trolley problem?
The trolley problem is philosophy's most famous moral dilemma, pitting the lives of a few against many. This entry sets out the rival answers to it — whether one should act to save the one, or to save the group.
Position 1 of 2
Read this position →You should save one man
This position holds that one should not divert the trolley, sparing the single person on the other track. Proponents argue that deliberately killing someone as a means to an end differs morally from failing to prevent deaths, and that numbers do not license it.
Position 2 of 2
Read this position →You should save the people in the trolley
This position holds that one should act to save the larger group, even at the cost of a single life. Proponents argue that the morally relevant fact is how many people survive, and that refusing to act is itself a choice, with a worse outcome attached to it.