Kill one to save five. Thought experiment.
 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUsGDVOCLVQ

I've felt the need to bring the shitstorm going on in the comments of this video to the beautiful innocent safe haven of the pit.

Ignore the concept of what this guy says a sane person or a psychopath would do in this situation. Discuss what you would do.

EDIT: TL;DW version
Scenario = Train headed to kill five trapped people. You can pull a lever to redirect the train towards one trapped person. Would you do it?
Upping the ante
Scenario = Train is headed to kill five trapped people. You can throw one fat guy on the rails that can derail the train (unrealistic, but for the sake of the argument, assume that would work) saving the five. Would you do it?

That guy's hair is terrible.

I would kill one to kill five.

He's saying big words and I'm not comprehending them because his hair is stupid and he has a giant forehead.

I wouldn't say I'd be happy with throwing the fat guy, but if it means one person dying instead of five, then of course I'd do it without much hesitation.

Pretty sure I'd toss the guy if I knew for sure it'd save 5 others.

I had to watch it again because the first time I was just staring at his hair.

OT: Those questions were easy, although I can't quite see myself managing to overpower a man who is fat enough to block a runaway train...
Here's a twist. WHAT IF the five people were insane people committing mass suicide, and the one person was an innocent, intelligent person tied to the rails against their will. Would you still flick the switch?

the fat one must die. Such is his fate.

Hmm. Well, congratulations, Pit. You are smarter and morally superior to the average Youtube commenter. You should be proud.

In reality I'd probably just stand and watch.

Yes because all lives have the same value. The suicidal people shouldn't die.

Well, the thought experiment assumes you don't know why any of these people trapped, but with your addition... **** the five.

EDIT: Not literally **** them. There's a train coming.

What's that dude doing on the train track in the first place? If you MUST travel by walking the train tracks, then do it off to the side, not put your foot right in the fork where you will get trapped. And now, you're going to figure out the hard way why you deserve this year's Darwin award.

I dunno why but this has put me into a fit of laughter. :haha: :haha: :haha: :haha:

I suppose most of us, probably including me, would just stand watch, as their are emotional reasons (not wanting to feel personally responsible, staying disconnected from the situation). So really, I guess the question is more, "what is the right thing to do?" than it is "what would you do?"

I'd save a horse and ride a cowboy.

Yes I would. Remember,

"The needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few" Jesus

The scenario assumes we do not know why they are trapped. There are no details stating that perhaps they stupidly super glued themselves to the rails, or that a particularly dastardly villain tied them down.

Okay.

There's five people in hospital, all will die in an hour if they don't get the organ they need. One needs a heart, another a liver, two need kidneys and one needs a major skin graft. In the waiting room there is a healthy man of the correct blood type who's waiting to pick up a prescription for athletes foot. Do you kill him and save the other five?

Well we know its a fat guy, and we know that all fat people are stupid