Would you let 5 strangers die to save Mom? | Trolley Problem thought experiment philosophy

Check out this man on the street interview series that examines the Trolley Problem philosophical thought experiment through interviews with New Yorkers. Stay tuned to the end where a philosopher explains the different schools of thought behind the trolley problem thought experiment: utilitarianism, deontology, and ethical egoism.
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• The trolley problem go...
0:00 Teaser
0:25 Intro
1:02 Interviews Start
1:34 Ethical Egoism
2:03 Deontology
2:39 Deontology
3:22 Utilitarianism
3:30 Interviews
4:32 Final Score
4:49 Philosophical Takeaway
7:00 Outro

[@StreetPhilosophyTV]

What would you do???

[@viktorkastholm6193]

I'd save my loved one, no question. I'm sorry to the five people of equal value, but I'm the one at the lever. I'd also just say, just subscribed, one of the lucky first I see. But as one as the lucky first I'd also like to say, great format, a bit of sandpaper, but it's great, keep going king.💪🏽

[@StreetPhilosophyTV]

Thanks for the kind words and your support! Thrilled you dig it -Michael

[@BF-I-II-V-V-III-VII]

You choose your mom. As soon the first set of wheels pass you switch to the 5 strangers. It should derailed the train and save everyone.

[@steventcheouafei174]

let the universe decide, I am no murderer

[@StreetPhilosophyTV]

​@@steventcheouafei174 check out the 2:10 mark

[@hershmergersh6733]

"The 5 people are world leaders" - you bet your ass I'm diverting the train towards them.

[@banksuvladimir]

I’d divert it towards them even if no one was on the other tracks

[@NostalgicTribe]

In that case, can we add people

[@my3dviews]

Is one of those five world leaders Trudeau? 🤔 If so, where do I sign up to pull the lever. 😂

[@Sarando1]

I would save my dog before I saved five strangers.

[@GallowayJesse]

💯

[@ItsLy1e]

You’re a psychopath.

[@theedude2207]

5 people going to meet their makers in 99% of cases.

[@GallowayJesse]

And nothing wrong with that.

[@FatherManus]

This is the easiest question ever. Of course I would save my loved one. 5 random people don't matter to me at all.

[@asnd..8349]

is selfish love even real love?

[@Malrond]

Multi-track drifting!!

[@RossomeOfficial]

I came here not to watch but to answer the question in the video title: of course I’m saving my mother.

[@Jimbo77696--]

HELL YES! Mom is why I'm here today. Even if I knew the 5 people, really well.

[@Taron83]

If is a no-time-to-think kind of situation i would react on emotion and save my mom, i think most people would. but if i had time to think it over i would save 5 strangers. to me saving the strangers has the best potential future outcome, the chance that they are all criminals is low, they would likely go on to live normal lives, one or two might even do something great for others, i would still miss my mom tough.

[@StreetPhilosophyTV]

Sounds like utilitarianism is a good fit for you!

[@charlesl21]

I would tell you strangers. But 100% i'm saving my Mom

[@Michael-yl2iq]

The more individual and personal the more emotion effects the decision.

[@AWARHERO]

The original experiment never included someone you knew or a family member. So, this is no experiment. 2:04 Not my problem! That's the reason we have so many issues in our society.

[@dislikebutton102]

blood thicker than water

[@superdoopercooper1962]

My mother could have one day left on the earth and the other five could be teenagers. I’m seeing my mom one more day.

[@rockman22]

Gotta save Momma

[@lucasmills9959]

Yes. Next question

[@my3dviews]

You could also ask the question if the train was headed to run over you, would you push a button to make it switch tracks to hit five other people to save your own life? Not hitting the button would make it hit you, so you would have to take action to save yourself at the expense of the others.

[@kingsking2816]

I’d save my mum every time…..

[@computerdepot3373]

There are 5 of them. I would divert the train towards my Mother's track and then go save her!

[@philmeadowcroft9637]

If it's a matter of saving somebody I love or saving people. I don't know, it's a no-brainer. I'm saving the person I love. And for people like you that want to put all these questions out there. Why don't you tell us? Would you go to war to save a whole bunch of people and risk your life? To save people, you don't know if there is no danger to your family. Or would you save your family and not go to war? Or go to war to save your family. You know, it's easy to stand on the outside and point fingers which I think you are doing and you say no, we're not. We're just doing a hypothetical. Here's one fourya. Would you sacrifice your life for a person? You love. I don't care what you ate. I don't care what kind of day you're having. The question is, if you love them. Would you sacrifice your life? Do you have the courage to do that? Or would you Check-in out and save your life? Because you feel it's more important. What's you do

[@StreetPhilosophyTV]

Thank you for the thoughtful response. Joe explains his thinking on this scenario at the 4:12 mark -Michael

[@Jimmyduudah]

Yes absolutely I would let 5 strangers die to save my mother. This isn't the actual thought experiment. Obviously people are going to choose to save loved ones over complete strangers.

[@ye333]

Obviously. What kind of sick person would choose otherwise?

[@painandsuffer]

If you time it just right, pull the lever to switch tracks just right before the train comes to the fork, and the train will crash in the middle. Caution: Train may slide and ice everyone instead..

[@GallowayJesse]

Absolutely and any sane person would do the same. It's my mom and I don't know the other people 🤷

[@FatherManus]

Exactly.

[@nonayabusiness6170]

Depends on the person. How well he or she or they liked the individual.

[@grasshopper654]

can I jump in front of the trolley therefore saving all 6?

[@StreetPhilosophyTV]

There is a meme for this response! -Michael

[@grasshopper654]

@@StreetPhilosophyTVreally id like to see that lol ,But is there nothing greater as a human being than giving your life for another.

[@semir9112]

Someone who says "let the universe decide" means, "I'm a terrible human being, I know that 5 people will die and if I don't act I have no blame", which is terribly false and this is the worst answer to the question. But by asking "what if it would be world leaders'" (so let's say Biden, Putin, Macron, Sunak, Jinping, Scholz, Netanyahu) you made this SOO much easier. The more ethical answer would be 'save 5', but saving your loved one is a very normal response, I would also give.

[@STho205]

But you do that every day. Each day somebody die far away with equipment and funding your government sent in your name or did not send in your name... Each day people die, starve, bleed, suffer in your area that you are not doing anything about...not your business ....who am I to save them....not my job.

[@alexdrum94]

"the 5 people were world leaders" wait... so I get so smush 5 of them for FREE??!!??

[@skipperry63]

Morality requires action and responsibility. Therefore, non-action is not a choice.

[@rockman22]

Dude what, of course doing nothing is a choice. Watching someone drink something you know is poisoned, and you choose to not tell them, you allowed them to be harmed.

[@vividvault9285]

Absofuckinglutely. What an easy question. I would send the trolly into the 5 strangers. They are 5 strangers, I don't care about them.

[@tdero9902]

It would depend on if mom was still with us at the time and the hair color of the 5 and if they are wearing just stop oil vests. I could see saving moms urn.

[@flfun2no]

Yes

[@CHA773RBOX]

Save my mom, duh. Screw the strangers. Lol

[@richcoe9273]

Trolleys are slow moving vehicles. Stop the vehicle. If that isn't an option in your scenario, then, no hesitation, my loved one lives. I'm curious. Have you ever encountered anyone not choosing their loved one?

[@StreetPhilosophyTV]

On the day we were out no one said that they would pull the lever. However the gentleman at 3:02 said "depends on the loved one"

[@richcoe9273]

@@StreetPhilosophyTV I would accept that answer more if they said, "depends on the family member" Instead of "loved one" Because in some families, not ever member is a loved one. To me, a loved one is someone I love, period

[@ADobbin1]

Sure. I don't know them. I do know mom. Now if those five people were kids it would be a different matter.

[@bungobilbo5709]

let's rephrase the question .. would you eat one nice egg or 5 rotten ones ?

[@LeetTron5000]

this isnt the trolley problem and has much less philosophical weight to it.

[@StreetPhilosophyTV]

Check out the segment at 4:49

[@winstonwolf6791]

These are always kind of dumb. Even if it was 5 thousand 99.9% are saving their loved one and the other .1% are lying. 😆

[@CD-vb9fi]

This is not a problem. Save your loved ones unless they have made clear that they would rather die in such a situation. You have a "moral" obligation to take care of your own house before anything else.

[@NostalgicTribe]

Lol bye 5 other people

[@olafbaeyens8955]

This situation can never occur in reality. Nearby people will cut lose people that are on the tracks. Stones can be put on the rails to slow it down. If the trolley is too close you cannot have a logical reaction, only an emotional reflex and therefore the answer these people give has no relevance.. Also people, will never get access to control systems of trolleys.

[@olafbaeyens8955]

Also cars that has to decide to kill the driver or kill innocent people is a situation that can never exist. No driver will want to buy a car that wants to kill the driver. These cars will never get sold or used.

[@jimmymcdaniel1713]

ok let's change the 5 people you do not know to your kid and the other is your wife/husband. and go.

[@yewknight]

Eh, trolly can have my mom. If my dog was on those tracks though you all are going to leave this plane.

[@FatherManus]

That’s really sad. No loyalty to your own parent that gave you life.

[@yewknight]

@@FatherManus yeah. It is sad having crappy parents. Oh well. I moved on with my life decades ago.

[@Photonkannon]

Didn't watch the video. Yes.

[@howardhughes6212]

If I was one of those 5 people laying on the track and you saved me over a loved one… I’d appreciate it it. If that same person who JUST SAVED ME was on the tracks, I’d save my loved one. Only way I’d budge on numbers is if it was thousands vs 1. Even then. 1000 strangers or my house cat that I love. I’m saving my cat

[@FatherManus]

You lost me at that last part. Saving a cat over 1000 people is absurd even if it’s your cat. The cat isn’t going to last that long anyway and you can get another cat that you will like just as much.

[@olafbaeyens8955]

My decision is based how big my inheritance will be.

[@StreetPhilosophyTV]

I think this is the explanation for this position 5:50

[@PaulHedges-ne8iw]

Obviously you didn't interview anyone who had a bad experience being raised by their parents so your whole survey is invalid and sensation seeking.

[@HUGEHARDTHICKANDVEINY]

This is an aspect of nature I call "out of sight, out of mind". Naturally, people or other animals care more about things they have an emotional attachment to. This explains a lot of things like how we would rather help out friends and family members rather than anonymous starving kids on the other side of the planet, as well as the predatory behavior of political and corporate structures. If someone doesn't know you at all and can't relate to you it's almost certain they don't care about you. If they try to seem like they do it's a pretty safe bet that it's fake, they're just being polite, or they have some kind of mental illness. I very strongly believe going against this concept or pretending it doesn't exist- like a lot of advertising and PR campaigns do- is what enables a LOT of problems in the world, like systemic exploitation and mental illness. It really highlights the value of things like cultural identity and good quality personal relationships! Acknowledging this, and the fact that we are ALL human and play by this rule, seems like a pretty good way to actually improve society at large.