The\xa0trolley problem\xa0is a\xa0thought experiment\xa0in\xa0ethics. The general form of the problem is this:
You see a runaway\xa0trolley\xa0moving toward five tied-up (or otherwise incapacitated) people lying on the tracks. You are standing next to a lever that controls a\xa0switch. If you pull the lever, the trolley will be redirected onto a side track, and the five people on the main track will be saved. However, there is a single person lying on the side track. You have two options:
- Do nothing and allow the trolley to kill the five people on the main track.
- Pull the lever, diverting the trolley onto the side track where it will kill one person.
Which is the more ethical option?