Ethical Dilemmas

Ethical Dilemmas
Name
Institution
Ethical Dilemmas
The “Trolley Dilemma” is composed of a serial of hypothetical circumstances commenced in 1967 by British philosopher Philippa Foot. Every situation illustrates an intense environment that tests the participant’s ethical expertise (Lennon, Byford & Cox, 2015). The dilemma is precise ethical experimentation among others that accentuates the disparity between deontological and consequentialist moral systems. The vital subject that these problems expose is whether or not it is accurate to actively hinder the utility of a person if doing so creates a better utility for other people.
The predicament in the first week of this module emphasizes the first strain between two schools of ethical thoughts. In the case of the utilitarian point of view, the most fitting act is the one that attains the most good for the most substantial number. In the first version of the problem, people are more inclined to concur with utilitarians finding it ethically okay to change the tracks, killing one to save many but do not agree with having to push someone to his death for the sake of saving others. This is because we are morally brought up to understand that it is wrong to inflict physical harm on others thus harming one to save many is less acceptable than switching tracks. It also goes against virtues of ethics where we are supposed to treat people with their civil liberties, desires and wants instead of merely objects to be used at will.
Before the mainstreaming of automated cars and other similar technologies, a slew of ethical dilemmas needs to be sorted like how the cars should be programmed when it comes to ethical issues.

Most people would want the cars to save their lives at all cost. However, in my opinion, I do believe the best approach is the utilitarian in that the cars should be programmed in a way that it achieves the greatest good for the highest number while creating the least amount of harm.
Reference
Lennon, S. M., Byford, J. M., & Cox, J. T. (2015). An Ethical Exercise for the Social Studies Classroom: The Trolley Dilemma. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 88(6), 178-181.