A Simple Decision

Exactly two months ago, I wrote about the problem of the Wild Railroad Carriage, which was mostly about deciding whether or not to change a track switch if it meant 4 less people dying.

The problem was also varied a bit, so that the question became: should you kill someone in order to save 5 other people?

This IS a hard question!

So let me make it simpler:

You are next to a track switch, and if you change the course of the train, 0 people will die instead of 1.

Wow... much simpler!!! It's like.. who wouldn't switch the tracks, right?

You know what, I'll even guarantee that there will be no more people strapped to the tracks - this is the whole layout! No tricks - there aren't 1000 people tied to the tracks on the left - there aren't more people tied to the tracks on the right. No, that guy is not Hitler. No surprises, nothing special - just one simple guy tied to the tracks.

Yes, it's a very simple question... yet I have been thinking about this problem more than... more than just about anything. I've been thinking about this so much because I think it's one of the most essential questions of our lives here on Earth.

(To be continued...)