New moral question

Sithious

Sithious

Well-known member
MBTI
INFJ
First of all this is a highly unrealistic scenario, but here goes.

You're a train controller or whatever it's called.

As you are in the controll tower you see the train you are responisble for headed towards 6 adults who are in the railway track for some reason, who shouldn't be there.

You have the choice of doing nothing, or sending the train into the another direction, however in that other direction there are 3 workers who are supposed to be there as they are performing maintenance work on the track.

The train is moving too fast for the train operator to stop it and the flute is broken. So that the scenario is, the people in the direction it is sent or not sent will die.
 
Last edited:
Good one Sithious. Western ethics of "work" and "personal responsibility" versus the member's personal perception of "value of life".

I'd sent the train towards the workers.
 
I believe the right decision would be to send the train in the direction of less death (ie. the three workers)... However... and because I am quite ruthless at times when it comes to question regarding 'fault', I would keep the train on the original destination and sacrifice the people who wandered onto the track where they should not have been.


Good question.
 
Personally I would have let the 6 adults die, simply because they shouldn't have been there and must take responsibility for their actions, which in this case is death.

Also I choose quality over quantity and I might do humanity a service by sparing it for these clearly not so intelligent individuals. I mean being in the railway tracks is not a stroke of genius...
 
If the three workers are working on the track, then isn't it potentially dangerous to take that route and possibly derail the train? If it is only maintenance, then that risk is lower, but it is still unknown. It seems like there is an inherent and unmeasured risk with that option. I would have to leave the train on course without further information.
 
I'd use loudspeakers to tell the people to get off the tracks. Otherwise, nothing.
 
Sithious said:
Personally I would have let the 6 adults die, simply because they shouldn't have been there and must take responsibility for their actions, which in this case is death.

Also I choose quality over quantity and I might do humanity a service by sparing it for these clearly not so intelligent individuals. I mean being in the railway tracks is not a stroke of genius...
Click to expand...

This. Liam Gill deserved it.
 
I would send the train in the direction of the adults. As someone who has worked in high risk jobs, I have a soft spot for the workers who shouldn't have to die because they were doing their job while other morons were on the track.
 
I'd keep it on the track of the 6 dumb adults. It would be horrible to watch and I'd try to warn them, but it's their fault for doing such a thing.

The workers were doing their job and shouldn't be put at risk because of other people's stupidity.
 
Julia said:
If the three workers are working on the track, then isn't it potentially dangerous to take that route and possibly derail the train? If it is only maintenance, then that risk is lower, but it is still unknown. It seems like there is an inherent and unmeasured risk with that option. I would have to leave the train on course without further information.
Click to expand...

They are performing maintance work on the ATC transmitters (automatic train control), so no the risk of derailing will not be higher
 
I want to say go in the direction of less death, however I feel violent today so SQUISH THEM ALL!!!!
 
I would not divert the train because if I divert the train, then I will be responsible for the deaths of the three workers. If I do not divert the train, then the 6 adults who were dumb enough to stand in front of it get hit and it is their responsibility that they die. So hopefully I wont go to jail for manslaughter. I would do as DJ would and plead ignorance.
 
What is:

1) the speed of the train
2) the amount of distance that it has to travel to reach the transit point
3) the distance after the transit point to the 6 adults
4) the distance after the transit point to the 3 workers
5) the distance of the control tower from the adults and workers
6) the amount of time it takes to hit the button or switch to transfer the train from
its original path
7) the height of the tower
8) the train has any people actually on it, and the number of those people

I would have the train (if there were people on it) continue on the path that gives the greatest amount of time to either shout a warning or have an attempt to rescue as many people as I could. If the train was empty, I would set it off its tracks so that there would be no loss of life.
 
Azure_Knight said:
What is:

1) the speed of the train
2) the amount of distance that it has to travel to reach the transit point
3) the distance after the transit point to the 6 adults
4) the distance after the transit point to the 3 workers
5) the distance of the control tower from the adults and workers
6) the amount of time it takes to hit the button or switch to transfer the train from
its original path
7) the height of the tower
8) the train has any people actually on it, and the number of those people

I would have the train (if there were people on it) continue on the path that gives the greatest amount of time to either shout a warning or have an attempt to rescue as many people as I could. If the train was empty, I would set it off its tracks so that there would be no loss of life.
Click to expand...

This is not a real world scenario, this is a strictly imaginable scenario with no real root in reality. It is only a mind tease to test what you would have done in the given unrealistic scenario. And the scenario is, you have to choose a path, the train cannot be stopped, the people cannot be warned, they won't able to escape death, if you don't do anything all 6 adults will die, if you change the direction all 3 workers will die.

It's too far away for you too shout anything to them, and the train is moving 160 km/h
And yes changing the direction won't derail the train as the track is built for that kinds of speed
 
Last edited:
Sithious said:
This is not a real world scenario, this is a strictly imaginable scenario with no real root in reality. It is only a mind tease to test what you would have done in the given unrealistic scenario. And the scenario is, you have to choose a path, the train cannot be stopped, the people cannot be warned, they won't able to escape death, if you don't do anything all 6 adults will die, if you change the direction all 3 workers will die.
Click to expand...


So you can't put the train off its tracks? Are there people on the train?
 
Azure_Knight said:
So you can't put the train off its tracks? Are there people on the train?
Click to expand...

There are people on the train, so derailing it at a speed of 160 km/h could potentially kill a lot of people
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top