Is it okay to sacrifice the few to save the many?

In practice, the life of that one patient is worth more than the lives of the other five. This is a matter of what ethical school you belong to. If you are a Utilitarian, then sacrificing the few for the need of the many is a reasonable thing to do.

Is it right to sacrifice one person to save many?

The utilitarian perspective dictates that most appropriate action is the one that achieves the greatest good for the greatest number. Psychological research shows that in the first version of the problem, most people agree with utilitarians, deeming it morally acceptable to flip the switch, killing one to save five.

What is the answer to the trolley problem?

Foot’s own response to the Trolley Problem was that the morally justified action would be to steer the trolley to kill the one workman, thus saving a net four lives. In order to demonstrate the morality of this, she made a distinction between what she called ‘negative duties’ and ‘positive duties’.

What is the ethical problem in the case of Baby Theresa?

Several states have since passed laws making it illegal to pay a surrogate. Baby Theresa posed a much greater dilemma for society. Making an exception for anencephalic babies to be cut open, alive, while their organs are extracted not only sounds medieval, it makes us wonder what other exceptions will come next.

Would you sacrifice one life to save another?

Yes, I would sacrifice one in order to save many others. Yes, I would sacrifice one in order to save many others. It would and could be a very difficult decision to make but it is obvious that saving more people is the moral and proper thing to do.

Is it morally wrong to sacrifice someone for the lives of others?

It is morally wrong. The fact that sacrificing someone for the lives of many others, to think critically, is actually a very good choice. However, this goes against our moral beliefs as human beings, because humans have no right to decide the fate of another life. It is better to sacrifice oneself than to take life away from another.

Should we try to save as many people as possible?

At first glance, one may be tempted to say that due to the sanctity of life, one should try to save as many people as possible, and the unwillingness to sacrifice the life of one to save the many means one is too much of a moral stickler for the “rules.” In truth, from a Jewish law perspective, the opposite is true.

Would you sacrifice a group of people to save a group?

If I were in a position to sacrifice a group of people in order to save a larger group of people, I would do it in an instant. Count your losses and weigh out your options before you make the choice but in the end…it all comes down to how you can save the most lives.