Chapter 02 of 5
The Bridge: The Pushing Point
Judith Jarvis Thomson’s variant that shatters simple math.
- Evolution
Beyond the Switch
In 1985, Judith Jarvis Thomson evolved the trolley problem by changing the method of intervention. She introduced a bridge, a stranger, and a physical act.
- The Variant
The Fat Man Scenario
You stand on a footbridge over the tracks. Below, a trolley is headed for five people; the only way to stop it is to push a heavy man off the bridge.
- Strict Utility
The Math Remains
Pure utilitarianism suggests the calculation is identical to the switch. One life is sacrificed to save five others.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
According to psychological surveys, approximately what percentage of people are willing to push the man off the bridge?
🚃 The Trolley Problem: The Math of Morality
- 01The Switch: Origin of ChoicePhilippa Foot’s 1967 dilemma and the logic of Utilitarianism.
- 02The Bridge: The Pushing PointJudith Jarvis Thomson’s variant that shatters simple math.
- 03Deontology vs. UtilityThe theoretical war between Immanuel Kant and Jeremy Bentham.
- 04The Moral ArchitectureThe Double Effect and why the brain differentiates intent from result.
- 05Algorithms of Life and DeathApplying moral theory to AI, self-driving cars, and triage.