Facts about The Trolley Problem

1. 06

   In 2003, cognitive scientist Liane Young demonstrated that children under age 10 consistently prefer utilitarian solutions to the Trolley Problem, suggesting moral reasoning develops with age.

   The Trolley ProblemJul 3sharepsychologydevelopmentmoral-philosophy
2. 05

   A classic application of the Trolley Problem in psychology distinguishes between personal and impersonal moral dilemmas, influencing decades of moral psychology research.

   The Trolley ProblemJun 6shareethicscognitionphilosophy
3. 04

   Neuroscientist Joshua Greene used brain imaging studies of the Trolley Problem to argue that utilitarian judgments engage deliberative reasoning while deontological responses arise from emotional reactions.

   The Trolley ProblemJun 6shareethicsneurosciencecognition
4. 03

   Research using the Trolley Problem reveals that most people find it more acceptable to pull a lever to divert a trolley than to directly push someone onto the tracks, illustrating the doctrine of double effect.

   The Trolley ProblemJun 6shareethicspsychologycognition
5. 02

   Judith Jarvis Thomson popularized a key variant of the Trolley Problem called the footbridge dilemma, in which a bystander must push a large man off a bridge to stop the trolley.

   The Trolley ProblemJun 6shareethicsphilosophypsychology
6. 01

   Philosopher Philippa Foot introduced the Trolley Problem in her 1967 paper 'The Problem of Abortion and the Doctrine of Double Effect.

   The Trolley ProblemJun 6sharephilosophyethicspsychology