Life of Max ✔️

Four

MAX

Brad and Grayson convinced me to go with them to the library today, to study. So now I'm here, with my nose in a fucking book, trying to figure out some stupid ethics-stuff.

Utilitarianism and deontological ethics are two schools of ethics that clash. Use your own words to answer 'The Trolley Problem' described below:

You see a runaway trolley moving toward five tied-up (or otherwise incapacitated) people lying on the main track. You are standing next to a lever that controls a switch. If you pull the lever, the trolley will be redirected onto a side track and the five people on the main track will be saved. However, there is a single person lying on the side track. You have two options: 1. Do nothing and allow the trolley to kill the five people on the main track, or 2. Pull the lever, diverting the trolley onto the side track where it will kill one person.

Which is the more ethical option? Or, what is the right thing to do? Back up your answers with examples and quotes from the most relevant school of ethics.

I groan.

This is so fucking boring. Why should I care if one or five people dies? I don't even know them.

Brad and Grayson appears to be already discussing the issue, and I just roll my eyes. They obviously didn't need me here, so why am I here at all? It's not like I can give them any cool facts about ethics or ethical psychology or anything. I'm dumb as fuck, and I don't even know what those two "schools of ethics" are. I mean, I've heard of them, but I can't say shit about them.

"What would you do, Max?" Brad suddenly asks me, and leans across the table to stare at me.

He obviously wants me to take part in the discussion.

I sigh, and shrug uninterestedly.

"I don't know, kill the one guy and let the five live, I guess," I say, and frown at both of them.

"But what if that one person is someone you know, say, your dad, or maybe me or Brad?" Grayson then shoots in, and looks at me, as if he's trying to figure out what my brain is thinking about. I don't even know what it's thinking about.

I roll my eyes again.

"Well, then, kill off the five guys. What's the big deal?" I ask back, and lean back in my seat.

I'm tapping my foot impatiently now, and I really just want to go back to my room and light up a blunt.

"But why, though?" Brad asks, and waves his hands in front of him on the table. "Every one of those people will always be someone's dad or best friend. Isn't it selfish to kill off five dads to save yours? What about those five dads' kids?"

I raise my eyebrow at them both, and scoff a little.

"Why are we even questioning this? Doesn't one of those nerdy people in the book have the actual answer to what's right to do? I mean, I doubt we'll ever face a problem like that anyway."

My right leg is shaking like crazy, and I run a hand through my short hair. Stupid ass ethics. Always with the "why" and "what if" when I've actually come up with an answer.

"How'd it go with Josie?" I ask Grayson, and decide to ignore Brad for now.

It was Brad's stupid idea to come here and do this shit, so I'm blaming him for my boredom.

"Not great, I guess, since she didn't even open her door for me," he says, and shrugs a little. He's trying to play it off, but I can see that he's really bothered by it. "I guess I really fucked up."