Philosophy Talk Starters

327: When Is It Wrong to Save a Life? Lessons from the Trolley Problem


Listen Later

More at http://philosophytalk.org/shows/when-it-wrong-save-life-lessons-trolley-problem.
A trolley is approaching a track junction, and you happen to be standing by the switch. If you do nothing, the trolley will kill a number of innocent children playing on the tracks. If you throw the switch, it will kill only one fat man, who is sleeping on the tracks. The so-called Trolley Problem sheds light on many claims in moral philosophy: utilitarian positions (doing what's best for the greatest number), the difference between doing and letting happen (being more obliged to not cause harm than to prevent harm), and issues of "collateral damage" (killing one person to save others). John and Ken ride the trolley with Thomas Cathcart, author of "The Trolley Problem, or Would You Throw the Fat Guy Off the Bridge: A Philosophical Conundrum."
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Philosophy Talk StartersBy Philosophy Talk Starters

  • 4.1
  • 4.1
  • 4.1
  • 4.1
  • 4.1

4.1

54 ratings


More shows like Philosophy Talk Starters

View all
This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

90,994 Listeners

Fresh Air by NPR

Fresh Air

38,062 Listeners

The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker Radio Hour

6,826 Listeners

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! by NPR

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

38,856 Listeners

On the Media by WNYC Studios

On the Media

9,237 Listeners

The Gray Area with Sean Illing by Vox

The Gray Area with Sean Illing

10,729 Listeners

HistoryExtra podcast by Immediate

HistoryExtra podcast

3,223 Listeners

Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

Science Friday

6,435 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

111,948 Listeners

Throughline by NPR

Throughline

16,399 Listeners

Select Episodes by Philosophy Talk

Select Episodes

15 Listeners

The Rest Is History by Goalhanger

The Rest Is History

15,592 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

15,950 Listeners

The Rest Is Politics by Goalhanger

The Rest Is Politics

3,336 Listeners

Instant Classics by Vespucci

Instant Classics

184 Listeners