Killing, letting die, and the trolley problem

Abstract

This article aims to explore the moral dilemma known as the trolley problem, made popular by philosopher Philippa Foot through an example involving diverting a trolley to kill one person and save five others. The author questions a common argument against the distinction between killing and letting die based on a comparison of two situations. In one situation, Alfred actively kills his wife to prevent her from suffering a terminal illness, while in another, Bert allows his wife to die of the same illness despite having the means to prevent it. Despite similarly intending their wives’ deaths, the author argues that Alfred’s action of killing is morally distinct from Bert’s inaction of letting die. However, the author also identifies difficulties in providing a precise definition of when killing is morally permissible while letting die is not. – AI-generated abstract.