The trolley problem is a classic case of incongruity between two schools of moral thought. The Utilitarian principle dictates that an appropriate action is one, which aims at maximising the good. That is, the greater good is that which benefits a large number of people.
The other argument stems from the normative ethical theory or the Deontological principle. This postulates that the morality of an action should be based on whether the action itself is right or wrong.
This modern day moral dilemma has its roots in a philosophical experiment that dates back to 1967, highlighting how we separate right from wrong.
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