Your inaction is what kills more, statistically. Someone will eventually pull the lever to stop the trolley, but by not doing anything, you doomed more people. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one. A trolley problem isn’t reality though. You won’t find such absolutism and certainty in the outcome.
An alternate solution is to jump on the trolley and kill each lever puller before you get to them, forever protecting the growing masses. I’m not sure what that symbolizes. Some sort of constant cost paid to protect the rest of humanity.
And what lies past the track that kills that one or few people? Maybe something worse that this decision, so killing one seemed the most logical, but actually was far worse than postponing the decision and shrugging the responsibility (which is what this is about really).
Your inaction is what kills more, statistically. Someone will eventually pull the lever to stop the trolley, but by not doing anything, you doomed more people. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one. A trolley problem isn’t reality though. You won’t find such absolutism and certainty in the outcome.
An alternate solution is to jump on the trolley and kill each lever puller before you get to them, forever protecting the growing masses. I’m not sure what that symbolizes. Some sort of constant cost paid to protect the rest of humanity.
And what lies past the track that kills that one or few people? Maybe something worse that this decision, so killing one seemed the most logical, but actually was far worse than postponing the decision and shrugging the responsibility (which is what this is about really).
Why
I can think of lots of reasons early on, but if it goes on forever why would you think it wouldn’t ever happen?