Bystander's Three Options Essay

In Thomson’s Bystander Two Options case the ethical question of killing versus letting die is at debate. From previous studies it has been found that the popular opinion agrees that it is ethically acceptable to let someone die but not acceptable to kill someone. In Thomson’s case the bystander must choose the action of killing one innocent person which my seem “right” or letting five innocent people die. In the case there happens to be a random bystander on the trolley track right at the switch that can change the course of the trolley at any moment. If the bystander turns the switch to the right one workman will die but the bystander would be saving five workmen straight ahead on the track. The bystander has two options: option one, doing

In Bystander’s Three Options again the bystander is at the switch that changes the course of the trolley track however this time the switch can be turned both to the left and to the right. If the bystander turns the switch to the right, then the trolley will turn onto the right track killing one workman. If the bystander turns it to the left, then the trolley will turn to the left track killing the bystander himself. Or, of course, the bystander can do nothing, letting the five workmen straight ahead die. The bystander finds himself with three options: option one, do nothing and let the five die, option two, turn the switch to the right and kill one person or option three, turn the switch to the left thereby killing himself. Thomson’s suggest that the popular opinion would be option two, killing the one workman to let the five live. However, Thomson says if you are not willing to self sacrifice so turning the switch to the left then you have no right to self sacrifice another person by turning the switch to the right. Conclusively deciding that killing is worse than letting die and in both Bystander’s Two and Three Options the bystander should not turn any switch and just let the five workmen die on the straight ahead