How does the "trolley problem" help illustrate the complexities of ethical decision-making?

The choice that illustrates how the "trolley problem" helps clarify the complexities of ethical decision-making focuses on the tension between utilitarian and deontological ethics. In the trolley problem scenario, you're faced with a choice: pull a lever to divert a runaway trolley onto a track where it will kill one person instead of five. This scenario captures the conflict between these two ethical frameworks.

Utilitarianism, which advocates for the greatest good for the greatest number, would support the decision to pull the lever, as it minimizes overall harm by saving more lives. On the other hand, deontological ethics emphasizes the morality of actions themselves regardless of the outcomes—suggesting that it is inherently wrong to actively cause harm to an individual, even if it results in a better overall outcome.

By presenting this moral dilemma, the trolley problem encourages individuals to grapple with these competing ethical principles, illustrating that ethical decision-making is often not straightforward and can involve weighing the moral implications of both actions and consequences. Thus, it underscores the nuanced and sometimes conflicting nature of ethical reasoning.