(January 25, 2018 at 12:45 pm)vulcanlogician Wrote:(January 25, 2018 at 12:39 pm)Khemikal Wrote: Hey, what if you just don;t like the guy, right?
There are a few people I know who, if they were on the alternate track, would make the trolley problem far less of a dilemma. One or two, in particular, and there wouldn't even need to be five people on the main track for me to still pull the switch
(January 25, 2018 at 12:29 pm)polymath257 Wrote: OK, now suppose the 'organ donor' is a convicted criminal sentenced to death?
Same deal. Gimmie dem sweet, sweet kidneys so I can save five people. Why are you making it so easy?
It shows that the societal position of the person who would die is a significant aspect of our moral judgments. A brilliant scientist who cures cancer is valued more highly than the average and a condemned criminal less so. So it isn't just the humanity of these people, but their status that we use to arrive at our conclusions.