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The Trolley Problem

It's not often you get to see philosophy problems play out on network TV. But The Good Place went where few others have dared to tread, playing Thomson's version of the trolley problem for laughs.

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Philosophy Thought Experiments

"Killing, Letting Die and the Trolley Problem" tackles what has become one of the best-known moral philosophy problems around, thanks to several rounds on Twitter and a full episode of "The Good Place." This version, also from Thomson, finds you on a runaway trolley approaching a switch. If you do nothing, your trolley will run over five innocent people on the tracks. If you activate the switch, you will divert the trolley onto a side track, where you will run over one innocent person.