From 3 Quarks Daily:
Zeno’s Trolley Problem
Whether you pull the switch are not, in order to hit anyone, the trolley must travel half the distance to them, and before that it has to travel one quarter of the distance, and before that one eighth. How will the trolley ever hit anyone?
Descartes’ Trolley
How do you know you are not dreaming the trolley?
Nozick’s Trolley Problem
Does the existence of the trolley problem show that I am not currently in an Experience Machine that gives me whatever experiences I prefer? Or does it show that, in fact, I am in an Experience Machine and I want to see someone run over by a trolley?
Prisoner’s Dilemma Trolley Problem
We are standing on opposite sides of the tracks as the trolley barrels towards the peopled tied to the tracks. If I throw my switch it will divert the trolley towards the one person tied to the track, if you throw your switch it will also divert the trolley towards the one. But if we both throw the switch it will divert the trolley back towards the five. So, if we want to save the five only one of us should throw the switch. But whoever throws the switch will kill someone. So, the best outcome for me is that you throw the switch, for you that I do. But the worst outcome is that we both or neither throw the switch. Given that neither of us knows for sure what the other will do and we are unable to communicate over the noise of the trolley, what should we do?
The Self-Driving Trolley Problem
If car manufacturers announce that fully self-driving autonomous vehicles able to solve the trolley problem will be available in six months, and their stock goes up, but after the six months they just announce again that fully self-driving autonomous vehicles able to solve the trolley problem will be available in another six months, and their stock goes up; exactly what incentive do they have to stop lying about self-driving cars?
....MUCH MORE
