Module 2 / Lesson 4.2
Applying Ethics - Open Questions & Difficult Dilemmas
In Lesson 5.1 you learned the three main ethical systems. Choosing a framework is only the beginning. Each system contains open questions where two people using the same system can still disagree in deep and reasonable ways.
Learning guide
- Learning: Review the open questions below and watch the two videos about the trolley problem.
- Reflection: Consider how you evaluate both the classic trolley case and the footbridge variation. Which ethical system do you find yourself applying. What values or open questions create tension for you.
4.2.1 Open Questions Within Each Ethical System
People can diverge not only because they choose different systems but also because they interpret and apply the same system differently.
Utilitarianism: What Are We Maximizing
Utilitarian reasoning centers on the greatest good. People disagree about what that good consists of, and different answers can lead to different conclusions.
- Is human welfare more important than animal welfare.
- Should we maximize the number of lives saved or the number of total years of life preserved.
- Does the well-being of loved ones matter more than the well-being of strangers.
- How valuable is environmental preservation when it reduces immediate human well-being.
Utilitarians who value different things may recommend different actions.
Deontology: Which Rules and How to Resolve Conflicts
Deontology focuses on duties and rules, yet people differ about which rules matter most and how to act when rules conflict.
- An influential example of prioritizing rules is Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics:
- A robot may not injure a human being or allow a human to come to harm.
- A robot must obey human orders unless they conflict with the first law.
- A robot must protect its own existence unless this conflicts with the first two laws.
Even this system creates new questions:
- What should a robot do if saving one human requires harming another.
- What counts as harm. Is loss of freedom a form of harm.
- How should different kinds of harm be compared, such as loss of life versus lesser injuries.
Virtue Ethics: Which Virtues and How to Balance Them
Virtue ethics focuses on character, yet people disagree about which virtues matter most and how to act when virtues are in tension.
- What virtues are most important to develop.
- When does the virtue of honesty conflict with the virtue of compassion.
4.2.2 Case Study: The Trolley Problem
The trolley problem is widely used because it makes ethical tensions clear and unavoidable.
Video 1: Introduction to the Classic Scenario
This short video explains the original lever dilemma.
Video 2: Complicating the Case
This scene from the show The Good Place shows how quickly the problem becomes more complex.
What This Reveals
Each system yields a different default response.
- A utilitarian would likely pull the lever to reduce total harm.
- A deontologist would likely not pull the lever because doing so makes one responsible for a death.
Complications arise when more values enter the scenario. For instance, if the person on the side track is a friend or a child, loyalty or love changes the calculation. There is no single correct answer. This is what makes ethical reasoning challenging and important.