Killing & Letting Die - Trolley Problems · 2013. 9. 2. · Killing&LettingDie Killing&LettingDie...

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Killing & Letting Die

Killing & Letting DieTrolley Problems

Dr. Clea F. Rees

[email protected]

Centre for Lifelong LearningCardiff University

Autumn 2013

mailto:[email protected]

[email protected]

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Killing & Letting DieOutline

Virtue

Vice

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Unethica

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Thomson: Initial Questions

Trolley Problems

Thomson’s Puzzle

Principles & Distinctions

Thomson on The Trolley ProblemArgumentationEvaluationDiscussion

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Killing & Letting DieThomson: Initial Questions

Virtue

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What is Thomson’s main thesis or conclusion?

b

Killing & Letting DieThomson: Initial Questions

Virtue

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Terminology (question 2):

b


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Trolley ProblemsTrolley Problem I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w--ShKr3d9E

b


Virtue

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Trolley ProblemsTrolley Problem I

5 innocent, trapped persons

1 innocent, trapped person

A

B

Run Away Trolley

Destination: A

You & The Switch

b


Virtue

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oral

Ethical

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Trolley ProblemsTrolley Problem II

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp11WL0PVOI

b


Virtue

Vice

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Imm

oral

Ethical

Unethica

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bleImpermissible

Trolley ProblemsTrolley Problem III

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cvCDV591XA

b


Virtue

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Moral

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oral

Ethical

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Trolley ProblemsTrolley Problem III


1 innocent, trapped fat person

A

Run Away Trolley

You & The Switch

b


Virtue

Vice

Moral

Imm

oral

Ethical

Unethica

lPe

rmissi

bleImpermissible

Trolley ProblemsTrolley Problem IV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wvLgAf8iTE

b


Virtue

Vice

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Imm

oral

Ethical

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Trolley ProblemsTrolley Problem IV


1 innocent,trapped person

A

Run Away TrolleyLarge Rock

You & The Switch

b

Killing & Letting DieThomson’s Puzzle

Virtue

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Thomson’s Puzzle

What is the puzzle?

b


Virtue

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Thomson’s Puzzle


1 innocent, trapped person

A

B

Run Away Trolley

Destination: A

You & The Switch

b


Virtue

Vice

Moral

Imm

oral

Ethical

Unethica

lPe

rmissi

bleImpermissible

Thomson’s Puzzle

Patient — Friendless & Unloved

b

Killing & Letting DiePrinciples & Distinctions

Virtue

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The Doctrine of Double EffectP may permissibly do A, foreseeing both good and bad effects iff1:1. A is not itself morally wrong;2. P intends the good effect but not the bad effect;3. the bad effect is not the means of producing the good effect;4. the good effect is sufficiently good to compensate for the

harm of the bad effect.

1‘iff’ means ‘if, and only if’

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Principles & DistinctionsThe Doctrine of Double Effect

ExampleA doctor may prescribe a drug to a terminally ill patient which willboth relieve pain and hasten death iff:1. prescribing pain medication is not wrong in itself;2. she intends to relieve pain but not to hasten death;3. the patient’s death is not the means of relieving the pain;4. the good of relieving the pain compensates for the harm of

hastening death.

b


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Acts vs. OmissionsA distinction between:

I acts which are actions one performs;and

I omissions which are failures to act.

Example

I Omitting to give a dying patient with pneumonia antibiotics.I Acting to bring about her death by giving her a lethal

injection for this purpose.

b


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Doing vs. AllowingA distinction between:

I what one does or brings about;and

I what one (merely) allows.

Example

I Allowing somebody to go hungry when one could have fedher.

I Bringing about her hunger by blowing up to her pantry.

b

Killing & Letting DieThomson on The Trolley Problem

Argumentation

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Thomson on The Trolley ProblemArgumentation

Questions 4–6:

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Argumentation

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Thomson on The Trolley ProblemArgumentation

What solution does Thomson endorse?

b


Evaluation

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Thomson on The Trolley ProblemEvaluation

How good is Thomson’s argument?

b


Discussion

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Thomson on The Trolley ProblemDiscussion

Why should we care?

Killing & Letting Die - Trolley Problems · 2013. 9. 2. · Killing&LettingDie Killing&LettingDie...

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