I wonder why it seems like a worse death. You mean because he has to endure falling off a bridge as well?
To me that fat man's death seems worse because it seems more unfair than the death of the lone person on the track in scenario 1. He isn't on a railroad track; he's just a random bystander. His life isn't inherently in danger until WE come along and intervene. (Justin says: are you saying that people who walk on railroad tracks deserve what's coming to them? No, obviously.) I don't think that this is a rational reaction to the situation, but it's one of my gut reactions.
Other than that, yes, I think there's a huge difference, emotionally, between pushing a lever and pushing a person. (Research corroborates the idea that people respond much more emotionally to the second scenario than the first.)
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2006-07-31 10:15 am (UTC)To me that fat man's death seems worse because it seems more unfair than the death of the lone person on the track in scenario 1. He isn't on a railroad track; he's just a random bystander. His life isn't inherently in danger until WE come along and intervene. (Justin says: are you saying that people who walk on railroad tracks deserve what's coming to them? No, obviously.) I don't think that this is a rational reaction to the situation, but it's one of my gut reactions.
Other than that, yes, I think there's a huge difference, emotionally, between pushing a lever and pushing a person. (Research corroborates the idea that people respond much more emotionally to the second scenario than the first.)