What is the Trolley Problem trying to help us think about?
AHow trains work
BWhether it is okay to cause harm to one person in order to save more people
CWhy trolleys are dangerous
DWhich person is more valuable
The Trolley Problem is designed to explore a deep moral question: is it ever right to cause harm to someone in order to prevent greater harm to others? It tests our ideas about right and wrong.
Question 2 True / False
The Trolley Problem has one correct answer that all philosophers agree on.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: False
The Trolley Problem is famous precisely because thoughtful, reasonable people disagree about the right answer. Some say pull the lever (save more people), others say do not (causing someone's harm is always wrong). Both positions have strong reasoning behind them.
Question 3 Multiple Choice
In one version of the problem, pulling a lever diverts the trolley. In another version, you must physically push someone onto the track to stop it. Most people feel differently about these two versions. Why?
ABecause levers are more fun than pushing
BBecause directly causing harm to someone with your hands feels morally different from redirecting a trolley, even if the outcome is the same
CBecause the lever version is easier to understand
DBecause the pushing version involves more people
This is one of the most important insights from the Trolley Problem: the same outcome (one person harmed to save five) feels very different depending on how directly involved you are. This reveals something interesting about how our moral intuitions work.
Question 4 True / False
The point of the Trolley Problem is to find out what you would actually do in real life.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: False
The Trolley Problem is not about predicting real behavior. It is a tool for exploring moral principles: What makes an action right or wrong? Do outcomes matter most, or do the means matter too? It helps us understand our own moral thinking.
Question 5 Short Answer
What would you do in the Trolley Problem and why? Is there any variation that would change your answer?
Think about your answer, then reveal below.
Model answer: A good answer states a choice with reasoning. For example: 'I would pull the lever because saving five people is better than saving one, even though it is sad that one person is harmed. But if I had to physically push someone, I am not sure I could do it, even though the math is the same. That makes me wonder whether the rightness of an action depends on more than just the outcome.'
A strong answer takes a position with reasons and shows awareness that the problem is genuinely difficult. Bonus points for noticing how variations change their intuition, which demonstrates philosophical depth.