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Re:Absurd Trolley Problems by divbzero on Wednesday July 06, 2022 @12:05AM (#31996583)
Yes, the alternative could be more car driving which “emits CO₂ killing 12 people over 30 years”.
Re:Absurd Trolley Problems by onion2k on Wednesday July 06, 2022 @01:28AM (#31997042)
Or people walk instead, emitting no carbon and killing zero people...

This is what's fascinating about the Trolley Problem, and philosophy in general, and how it applies outside of philosophy - most people struggle to answer questions based on the evidence available without bringing in some external justification for their answer. People wamt a 'logical' reason to justify their choice. They can't say "I don't know", or "I used the limited data I had" when the choice they'd make goes against the something they belive about the real world (eg 'public transport is good'). They bring in a "but what if <imaginary thing that supports their biases>!" and make a decision based on that instead. They even believe they made the right choice.

This applies to everything from choosing a tech stack to picking who to vote for. It's infuriating once you see it.

Re:Absurd Trolley Problems by Dylan16807 on Wednesday July 06, 2022 @01:27PM (#32004085)
It's a pretty huge assumption to say that walking is fast enough.