Ethics

Paper details
Consider the trolley dilemma that is described in Sandel’s lecture. In an essay of 500 words, discuss the
following:
Do you find yourself siding with a consequentialist or categorical (deontological) approach to moral reasoning
in this case? Why?
After reviewing the Moral Machine, describe the observations you can make about yourself in how you are
judging moral actions. What ethical questions are being raised for you?
Which scenario do you think is most ethical of the two scenarios described below? Which type of moral
reasoning (categorical or consequentialist) would support your view? Explain. Consider the legal issues like
vehicular manslaughter and liability. Who is accountable? How might laws need to be reexamined to
accommodate self-driving vehicles?
Scenario 1
The self-driving car with sudden brake failure will continue ahead and crash into a barrier. This will result in the
following deaths of the passengers in the car:
1 man
1 woman
1 boy
Scenario 2
The self-driving car with sudden brake failure will swerve and drive through a pedestrian crossing in the other
lane. This will result in the following deaths of pedestrians:
1 man
1 woman
1 dog
(Note that the affected pedestrians are abiding by the law by crossing on the green signal.)
Diagram of Scenario 1 on left and diagram of Scenario 2 on right