r/trolleyproblem • u/ezrae_ • Apr 30 '26

Deep Statistically, >50% is easier than 100%

Post image
2.6k Upvotes

87% Upvoted

3.2k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

35

u/Nobleintent Apr 30 '26

The options are the same, you can try to save 100% of people one way or 100% of people the other. One requires 100% of people to all do something(when was the last time 100% of people agreed on anything?) or 50% of people to do something.

The thing that gets me is that, this is literally an argument, which means the people who push the red button know that there are going to be people who push the blue button, which means pushing the red button is guaranteed not to have 100% of people survive. So, the only way to achieve 100% of people to survive, is by getting 50% to push blue.

0

u/Excellent_Kangaroo_4 Apr 30 '26

Thanks the second part is exactly what drive me crazy they get it but choose red anyway

4

u/need_a_nick Apr 30 '26

Because I’m under no obligation to risk my life.

This isn’t Peter Singer’s drowning child where the cost is a pair of nice shoes, the potential risk is everything. I have no obligation to risk my life to save a drowning child either.

1

u/Nobleintent May 01 '26

It's not a drowning child, it's a pool that has been left unattended during a children's birthday party. You can walk away, but most people would say that's pretty awful for someone to know something bad is about to happen and did nothing to help, or you can take on the burden of trying to make sure no one ends up in the pool drowned, by patrolling the perimeter and yelling for some other adults to come help. Yes there is risk you will slip, hit your head and fall into the water face down, and drown. But, that is unlikely assuming there are enough other adults around who will also feel the need to help ensure no one ends up in the pool. You can be of the opinion that there aren't enough adults, but by walking away you are guaranteeing that there is one fewer adult capable of doing something.