Assignment Question
You may have heard of or participated in this thought experiment before, but try your best to approach it with fresh eyes, in the context of what you have learned so far in the course: A subway train is running out of control down a track. In its path are five people who have been tied to the track, though you don’t know why or by whom. You discover you could flip a switch, which will lead the trolley down a different track to safety. Unfortunately, there is a single person tied to that track as well.
For your initial discussion post, respond to the following questions: Should you flip the switch or do nothing? What are the repercussions if you do or do not flip the switch? (Discuss each side of the argument.) What are your ethical responsibilities? What are your moral responsibilities? After you have posted your initial discussion response, interact with your peers and discuss your differing perspectives. Possible topics for follow up posts may include, but are not limited to: What similarities do you share? What differences did you observe? Reflect on how others threw the switch (or not). Do you agree with their rationale? Your initial discussion post should be at least 250-300 words long.
