PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG VALENZUELA

GE 7
Science, Technology & Society

Name: MANALAYSAY, Ken D, Year Level: 1st Year

Program/Section: BSBA HRDM 1-2 1st Semester, AY 2023-2024
Lecturer: Ms. Ma. Angelica P. Buensuceso, LPT, MAEd

UNIT 3: LESSON 2
Ethical Dilemna

Watch the video link attached about the train dilemma then answer the following
comprehensive questions to the best of your knowledge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOpf6KcWYyw&t=97s

Topic:
The “trolley problem” is a famous thought experiment used to debate the value of a human life
and discuss what is the most ethical way to act if one person suddenly has the power to decide
the life or death of many others. The classic trolley problem involves deciding between doing
nothing and letting a train kill five people or flipping a switch and redirecting the train to a
different track and killing one person. However, many variants of this classic problem have since
been proposed and debated.

Page 1 of 2
Guide Questions:
1. Imagine you’re a firefighter in a burning house that’s about to collapse. In one room, there are
five innocent people about to die from breathing in too much smoke. In another room, there’s one
person who’s also about to die from too much smoke. You only have enough time to reach one of
the rooms, but you can save all the people in that room. Which room do you choose? Why?
(5PTS.)

• Quantitatively with the given data, I am going to choose first the room with five innocent
people then after that winningly save the one person in another room, also minding my
safety, for it is given that all can be save. With the situation that is given, I can save all the
people in that room. It is only a matter of which one to save first.

Imagine the same fire scenario as above. In one room, there are five strangers who are about to
die. In another room, there is your best friend, who is also about to die. You still only have enough
time to reach one of the rooms, but you can save all the people in that room. Which room do you
choose? Is your answer different from before? Why? (5PTS.)

• I would choose the same room with five people, I for one fully knowledgeable that my best
friend will know what must be done because I fully know my best friend, and he would do
the same in this situation. Just the same, it is given that all will be saved, anyways. My
answer will not change because I fully know my best friend in the other room, and we
know what the right is the thing to do.

2. What do you think is the value of a human life? Can you estimate this value using some kind of
unit? Money? Gold? Furthermore, are all human lives worth the same amount? Explain your
thinking. (5PTS.)

• Life is valuable, and numbers matters, therefore in quick thinking we must value it as if it
was a gift and must be treasured and live fully.

3. One popular variant to the trolley problem is that instead of flipping a switch and diverting the
train, you must push one man directly onto the tracks. Does your answer to the trolley problem
change? Why? What’s the main difference between this variant and the original problem? (5PTS.)

• No, it will not change, we must value life and the way to cherished life matters. We must
not indulge ourselves in taking lives because we do not own it. The difference is the way
of saving lives by sacrificing another life with violence.

4. Why is it important to think through such thought experiments? What do we learn from doing
so? (5PTS.)

• It is important, for we must know how to analyze the situation via quick thinking and
balanced what comes after saving the situation. I learned to value life as a gift from God
and analyze the situation with a given data.

Page 2 of 2