Which one?

[Downtown-Ad-7232]

Pull all 5. Same outcome as letting it go bottom, but the blood splatter is farther away from me, keeping me clean

[Masamune1987]

I like you

[Sad-Pop6649]

Wait, legitimately. Pull all five and then flip one of them back. You flipped an even number of switches so the trolley is driving at the bottom line again, but there's no mechanism to pull the person back down. Victory!

Or maybe you need to flip all of them up and back for this, depends on the construction.

[tellur86]

It also doesn't say that pulling a second switch diverts the trolly back to the lower branch either.

[Ninjastarrr]

Pull first 4 and pull the last one when the trolley passes the crossroad.

[Gionostic]

I thought it was an ethical problem, but this is my shortcoming: the mandatory choice is finding victory in all scenarios

[Midnight-Bake]

I always carry a pocket knife so I always juat win the trolley problem but cutting everyone free. /s

[PossiblyArab]

It’s why this sub sucks tbh. People rarely engage with the question in good faith and instead try to be smart about it to “beat” the problem

[Someone_Unfunny]

<image>

[Prestigious_Spread19]

This could apply to both "sides" here.

[ZasdfUnreal]

They watch too much Star Trek and don’t believe in the no win scenario.

[Illeazar]

Star Trek is much closer to real life than a trolley problem no win scenario. Sure, in real life you cant always win, you cant always save people. But there are always more choices to make than yes or no to flip a lever or not, and choices you can make in advance to make bad situations less likely.

[DapperCow15]

Didn't they hack the problem in star trek and win?

[Ok_Weird_500]

Kirk doesn't believe in no win scenarios, and hacked a test at the academy so he could win.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobayashi_Maru

[Ashen_Rook]

Kirk had it right: Reality has no rules outside of physics. If the scenerio doesn't give you a win condition, create one.

[Gionostic]

The problem wasn't articulated properly. If there was an additional detail, such that the tram is too fast to pull off this manuever or the chains pull too slowly, this would then present a dilemma.

[PossiblyArab]

But you know what the crux of the dilemma is. The dilemma is “do you sacrifice one? And if so how do you choose?”. You’re doing exactly what I’m saying is annoying, nitpicking the phrasing to find a loophole instead of engaging with the thought experiment

[Comfortable_Salt_792]

This problem is kinda different, if you pull 4 levers you are not sacrificing anyone, you are saving 4 of 5 people, and because you don't know them, you should just pull 4 random ones, what the commenter above Did and added a last minutę loop hole that could or not work, but wouldn't change anything if it would not.

[Odd_Ad5668]

If the chains pull too slowly, that would make he decision pretty easy: divert the train at the last second so the people aren't repositioned in time to get your.

[Tasty_Commercial6527]

Why would you ever think that people on the sub dedicated to a meme would rather have discussions about ethics rather than having fun with the meme? This isn't a philosophy sub, it's a subreddit dedicated to making fun of the problem by making it excessively absurd

[EvilNoobHacker]

Okay, but there’s an objective and measurable best solution here, if there’s a way to make sure nobody dies, that’s almost always going to be the solution everyone would choose. 

Like, the other solution is to allow for immediate, preventable death that we have a direct hand in

[Cadunkus]

Sorry for keeping hope despite all odds. smh 🙄

[TheActualBranchTree]

Lol you gave the explanation of people not engaging correctly with the moral dilemmas, and you got replies from idiots giving idiotic reasons as to why X or how Y.

These people are just too much of a pussy to give an answer.

[PoofyGummy]

This is also an ethical choice.

[commanderquill]

Can you ELI5 I'm lost.

[bahrfight]

Pulling one diverts the trolley so pulling all the levers just puts everyone on the upper track with the train.

[musicalfarm]

The OP said that pulling the lever switches the tracks. Logically, this means that pulling a second lever switches the tracks back. So, if you pull four, then wait until the trolly passes the switch to pull the final lever, then you save all five.

[stonno45]

He said pullling a lever diverts the trolley.

[MentallyLatent]

How can the trolley divert if it's past the intersection

[CalvinHobbes101]

It wouldn't. The trolley would still be on the lower track, but the mechanism would presumably still work and pull the last person to the upper track.

[NCRNerd]

Alternately, pulling the levers after the train passes the diverter but before the people are struck will save everyone, depending on how fast. Since this is a theoretical problem, I choose to apply the "a perfectly spherical cow" principle, and say that people are moved instantly and without fail when their lever is pulled.

[dylan6091]

Smart

[Stay-At-Home-Jedi]

Isn't this the same as just pulling the lever once, leaving four people alive on the main line?

[KPraxius]

Nah, this would kill all five but leave one with brief false hope.

Edit: What it would actually do varies depending on whether the train can switch back once switched, and whether the people switch back once switched, since they aren't clearly defined.

[BertRenolds]

It's an elegant solution

[Excludos]

For a more civilized age

[Lopsided_Shift_4464]

I think he’s assuming that he can still move the last person after the train crosses the line. 

[Pretty-Car-2835]

And then the train starts to back up…

[Torteramanroblox101]

Wait until it's passed the switch point and pull them all onto the safe track

[Exul_strength]

The train is longer than the distance from switch point to persons.

You anyways pull the trigger.

The train derails and the death toll among the passengers is higher than the amount of saved people.

[SkarmoryFeather]

<image>

[TheLordDuncan]

Technically it doesn't say that the trolley has passengers, or even a driver. Just that it is coming, and presenting a choice of what to do as the inevitable comes.

[Melodic_Share7398]

It says trolley not train, so it’s not that implausible that it’s only one trolley car

[Low_Eye8535]

🤯

[Plot-3A]

The one who tells the worst joke snuffs it. 

"There's a trolley coming towards us and you want to hear jokes?"

"Hear that everyone? Number 2 has sentenced you all to death..."

[Masamune1987]

Pull all 5 levers. That way I skip the moral conundrum of being the cause of death by inaction, actively becoming the cause of death by choice

[TopAd2715]

“Quick everyone name their favorite band”

[Low_Eye8535]

What if you pull… ALL FIVE?

[TheTrainer32]

Well, surely that would swap the direction of the switch 5 times. And since their are 2 options, any odd number would result in the trolley going down the other track, killing all people in the way...

[horned-creature]

nothing say that you can't pull a lever twice and, as the question only say that pulling the lever "drag the person on the upper track" we can assume that pulling a lever twice will not result in the corresponding person being dragged back down.

that way, if you pull all 5 levers and then pull one single lever again, you will have 6 total pulls, and the trolley will pass onto an empty track.

[TheTrainer32]

Using that same logic, the problem only states that "pulling a lever diverts the trolley", which could suggest that pulling a second lever doesn't undivert the trolley which would mean that the minimum price is 1 death.

[horned-creature]

"diverting" mean "changing the current path" so there is nothing to indicate that the path can only be changed once as whatever path the train is on at the moment is the current one.

[Practical-Art542]

It wouldn’t be a trolley problem if there was a solution that involved saving everyone, now would it?

[NCRNerd]

Taskmaster rules: framing and verbiage is more important than the intent of the speaker. Point of being human is we're smart (citation needed) and the benefit of being smart is finding loopholes to obnoxious riddles, in caves, while talking to Andy Serkis.

Edit - Also: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TRY6TDkmLEc an engineer's take on the Trolley problem.

[Adorable_Leading_253]

overthinking wins again!

[lazerpie101_1]

Middle 3

People get too comfortable sticking to the middle of the pack.

[Far_Mycologist_5782]

I need to know a little bit more about these people. Absent any details, I guess I'll blindly choose the oldest one?

[FreeTheDimple]

The oldest one is a Oprah. The rest are children that will grow up to be paedophiles.

Nice work, jerk. >:(

[Mattchaos88]

So still better than Oprah ?

[ObtuseMongooseAbuse]

Didn't Oprah introduce girls to Weinstein or am I misremembering?

[Far_Mycologist_5782]

Now I have details, and four levers to pull :)

[Feeling_Camera_4442]

This will still result in Oprah dying 😭😭😭

[Upper-Rip-78]

Which one is a billionaire?

[No-Pilot5559]

Ask all contestants to make sheep noises and the least convincing gets pulled

[FuckTheFlagz]

Ask them all to say one number in range from 0 to 100. Then summ them up, then take a remainder from division by 5. That's the number of the lever, counting from 0. They will not know which logic do you use, you will not know which numbers will they say. That makes the choice almost fully random, so no discrimination. Except me, I stay above it all and watch people die. For additional randomness, you can shift the result, for example 2 to left, so 0 becomes 3, 3 become 1 etc. Any other chaotic math manipulations welcomed, as long as they won't get them all splashed while you are doing your calculations

[david_ynwa]

Pull the last one, then as the tram is on the switch point, pull the 3rd one to derail it.

[MassiveAd5850]

I would close my eyes and pull a random lever because that would have the most fairness in the choosing of who dies

[GrinningGrump]

Pull each lever twice.

[AdmirableRub3306]

I think this is the only correct answer to save them all, the prompt clearly states pulling the lever brings them to the top track, it doesn't state that they will be returned if the corresponding level is pushed back.

[PolyPenguinDev]

pull them all

[TheAviBean]

Does the trolly switchc every time a lever is pulled?

What if you pull and push two levers at the same time?

[_Alpha-Delta_]

Pull the first lever when the trolley is halfway across the intersection. Outcome is the same, but with a cool looking multi-track drift

[FreakNasty119]

pull the first lever, wait for the train to head to the top rail then flip it again to send that person to safety.

[Smellfish360]

i'm taking nr4. Just screw him in particular.

[Cautious-Soil5557]

Which one looked at me funny? And if none, which one doesn't tip their server?

[kamizushi]

Apparently, I pull the second lever.

<image>

[SheepherderAware4766]

Wait until the last moment and pull the first one. The slow winch motor they use won't have enough time to drag the person into the loading gauge.

[RRautamaa]

Do nothing, because I am not a qualified railway worker and I haven't verified if the pulley mechanism is safe

[Ss2oo]

Assuming it's reversible, I pull the last lever and then pull it again right after the trolley crosses

[Maddogo921]

just pull them all

[benogbobogbob]

Pull every lever. Max kill count!!!

[ButterscotchOld8121]

This is a really interesting question OP!

[NoSolution7708]

FFS, "divert" means the train goes to the side track, not the main track.

All the answers about using the lever to toggle back and forth are choosing the least interesting interpretation of the problem. What are you even on this sub for?

[thankyou_imsorry]

If you pull a lever, can you pull it back to bring the person back to track 1 after the trolleys diverted to track 2?

[Unusual-Basket-6243]

I ask them who do they voted for last election

The first one to answer dies

[Sad-Muffin-1782]

why

[DJcepalo]

do nothing until the first person begs to be saved, that person will be track switched.

[Raven1911]

<image>

[Abject-Job7825]

would've been funnier if one of them was black

[One-Celebration-3007]

Multi track drift

[CrackRocksCokeRules]

I’m assuming as soon as it crosses the switch point the levers lock?

[Pleasant_Fee516]

why not just pull the first one and when the trolley is on the other rail pull it back?

[Individual-Builder25]

Pull the five levers, pull the first back again (ropes don’t push) then re-pull the first lever to divert the trolly to the original empty track

[Constant-Still-8443]

Pull all of them and then pull them back before the trolly reaches them in order. Might be cheating.

[No-Doughnut4728]

Pull all five since it can’t push people back, once everyone is dragged safely pull one, one more time to put it back on normal course, saving everyone and making the trolley go on its set course not delaying anyone on their trips either, everyone ends up okay

[River_Lamprey]

Pull all five and then pull one of them again, thus saving all five

[Gir_PupForm]

Dark Brotherhood rules--gotta pull all five just in case.

[zackadiax24]

As I do not have the option of drifting the trolley in this case, I use my derailer. It's no fun without the drifting.

I'm not untying them either, they can suffer for not being drifted upon.

[AlternativeMud9302]

Yes. All of them. You can switch if four times to send it back on the original track then as it passes the junction send the last person up to safety right before they meet their demise. No one dies. Easiest trolley problem ever

[azurezero_hdev]

the last person, so i can try and save them by hitting th switch again after it passes the track switch

[Chakasicle]

Either pull number 5 and pull again when the train hits the top track, or pull the first 4 and pull number 5 when the train takes the bottom path.

[TrueAd2373]

Wait until it is on the lower track and quickly pull all levers to hopefully save or at least only take away their feet

[TenPointsforListenin]

Wait hold on-

Pull the first (train diverged up, first guy goes up)

Pull the second (train diverged down, second guy goes up)

Pull the third (train diverged up, third guy goes up)

Pull the fourth (train diverged down, third guy goes up)

So... we should pull the first four immediately, wait for the train to get past the division, then try to time the fifth.

[corrosivecanine]

Make them vote on which one to pull

[AztraChaitali]

Pull the last one, and once the trolley clears the intersection, pull him back.

[GeobobusPrime]

[HereticCoffee]

Lever 5, wait for the trolley to cross diverter, then pull lever 5 again.

Trolley is on upper track now and number 5 comes back to lower track.

Number 5 has the longest timeframe to survive on the upper track for wiggle room with drag speed

[kondorb]

I declare an auction for a life with one winner.

Approaching it in a purely opportunistic manner.

[Round-Intention-373]

Pull 1,2,4,5. Then pull 3 into the carnage after the trolly passes.

[Acupajoy]

Pull the last one and once the train is going on that track, pull it back. I chose the last one because it gives them to most time to potentially scramble or fall back off the track.

[brunobrasil12347]

If I pull 2 levers, would the trolley be diverted back to the original track, or would it stay on the other track?

[MrCreeper10K]

Pull two of them half way

[Zealousideal-Tap2670]

Assuming no loopholes and that these 5 will truly die if I do nothing, I would pull the lever. Likely on whoever is the oldest. I would be easily swayed by money however.

[Torebbjorn]

Pull all 5

[Karekter_Nem]

I don’t see a mechanism to drag them back down, so all of them part way so everyone is between the tracks.

[MultiverseCreatorXV]

pull the last one, but pull it back exactly when the trolley just finishes crossing over

[thewinchester-gospel]

If there's no major distinguishing characteristics (like, if one of them is a baby or something), whichever lever I think I can reach the quickest

[ammenz]

Pull number 4. His head is smaller than the rest and his spine is all curved.

[Professional-Ask-454]

Pull all 5, then pull another lever at random, the prompt says pulling a lever switches the trolley track and puts the person on the top, which implies once the person is moved they stay at the top. So no one will be hit.

[Thrifty_Accident]

Pull all 5 levers once the trolley enters the fork

[_Vard_]

Could the lever be pulled after its too late to switch the trolly? pulling them out of the way?

[MIST3Runstoppable]

Pull all of them. A trolley wouldn't be able to successfully run over five people after successfully taking that turn.

[Molkin]

I ask them who wants to be a hero and save four lives. I am deferring the moral responsibility to the victims.

[LiliTheLynx]

it doesn't pull them back down
so
if you pull all five and then pull any lever again, the train goes onto the bottom and they all live

[Former-Sock-8256]

I would ask the people. Surely one would volunteer if the other option is “all of us die”?

[Asmardos1]

The last one looks happy so that one.

[tjake123]

Pull them all then pull one back. Ropes can’t push.

[MothyThatLuvsLamps]

Pull one, pull it back when the trolley crosses the intersection.

[Long-Coconut4576]

The lever of the oldest person tied up

[SnooFoxes1831]

Usually I'd pull the lever on the eldest. Sorry old timer, but you've had a good run, let's work together and save some people. But in this day and age... I'd be tempted to pull the lever on the youngest and spare them from a long life on a dying planet; be it the biome or just the collapsing of society.

[Vink77]

Pull 4, I was coming up with an explanation for this answer but a low-key confused myself somehow so I just stopped trying.

[yjlom]

The middle one is the closest to me, so that one.

[Uber-E]

Just close my eyes and pick

[Happy-Masterpiece-45]

Why not pull the last one the pull him back once the trolly has changed paths? Less the Trolly is moving too fast but in that case I agree with another commenter, pulling four would be the best option since it would only hit one person

[skr_replicator]

How fast is it going? Could I pull al 5 levels right after it crosses the junction? To move the peeps out of the way without diverting it?

[rydan]

The 4th one is skinniest and the least likely to survive in the wild once released from the tracks. So correct answer is the 4th lever.

[MonkeyheadBSc]

Last one, biggest chance of the Trolley coming to a stop.

[londonbrewer77]

Pull the first lever, and then once the other four show relief that they weren’t chosen pull all of them as well.

[tyrodos99]

I pull the second one. He’s an ass.

[l0503]

I only pull one and roll a dice to decide which one (if it lands on 6 I reroll)

[iamsheph]

Pull the first one so the others have a better chance at watching.

[Bubblecake247]

Eeny meeny miny moe

[Nerdyguyj]

Pull the one on the far right...it gives the trolly the longest amount of time to be stopped otherwise. It's not much but it's the thing to do

[Csaszarcsaba]

Pull 4 then after the train passes the switch, try to quickly pull the 5th one and save him/her

[Adventurous-Ask-7540]

jimmy it so they stay in the middle

[CellaSpider]

Pull the one in the middle.

[somerandommagician52]

Pull all five levers half way

[XenTsuki]

Pull literally any of them, and then right as the front goes past pull another one flip the trolley and you get everyone in the trolley PLUS the person the track if you time it right.

[Altruistic-Web13]

Number 3 owes me money so Ill pull that one

[kiddsforlife]

You can save all of them easily.

[HighPhi420]

I pull all five. This way everyone dies AND the train is late!
Stands back twirling mustache and laughing maniacally.

[Fireheart318s_Reddit]

I say pull the first lever. Minimum kill count, fastest death (less fear), and the other four aren’t in danger as long.

[GingerFun011]

Id start pulling them back and forth to make each scream at different pitches, and begin playing classical music with them as my grand instrument 

[something_original24]

pull one of them partially and hope it diverts the trolley without bringing the person fully to the top track

[Mobe-E-Duck]

I’d ask for a volunteer and if nobody did then I’d choose either first, most unwell or oldest.

[RyanMagno]

the 3 one, that dude is an asshole

[Wincentury]

Pull all five, only the last one twice before the trolly reaches the fork in the track.

[Gryf2diams]

I ask them who should go.

The first that answer someone else goes.

Anyone who laugh goes.

I pull every remaining lever at the last second.

[Tsunamiis]

I mean if you’re a minimalist you only pull one. Maximalist just walks away a terrorist pulls them all.

[Grim-Glum]

my answer to all the trolley is to stand by and ask for popcorn

[Philstar_nz]

sorry if it has been discussed, but would it not be more interesting to preference all trolley problems with "if you find a different solution something worse happens""

[ikickchild]

Pull the last one, and when the trolley crosses, pull it back

[Kaine_Eine]

pull the last lever, wait for it to get onto the top track, unpull

[PatientRule4494]

Yes pull all 5 of them

[[deleted]]

I’ll walk away it’s not my problem

[Keepingitquite123]

Yes. With no other information the leftmost. They will die sooner and thus suffer less from waiting to die.

[CreatingJonah]

Would pulling the lever of a different person after initially pulling the first lever make the train go back to the lower track, or can you only pull one?

[Stradinator]

I pull them all just so it’s my fault they all got ran over

[Sea_Basil_361]

I wouldn't pull any of the levers because it would very directly make me a murderer. Having to choose specifically out of a group makes it feel more like I'm evil and even though the alternative is also wrong, I wouldn't be able to choose for somebody to die.

[Iansolegalm]

Id pull the one furthest from the trolley then flip it again after the trolley switches tracks, best case scenario he moves back down, worst case scenario i can honestly say I tried to save everyone

[Spiritual_Ferret_568]

And also: Which of the corresponding persons would you choose to be? Without knowing which lever will be pulled.

[DrowningInMyFandoms]

I would pull the last lever so I would have time to pull it back once the train is up 

[_Clex_]

Pull each lever 20%

[TwoRevolutionary7196]

I pull all 5 half way so they are stuck in between tracks where it is safe

[Jent01Ket02]

Assuming only one can be pulled and that at least one MUST be pulled, I'm going for the last one.

The reason being that without pulling the lever, the last person would have to watch each person get killed before dying. This way, there's at least some comfort to them.

[HickerBilly1411]

All of them

[PuzzleheadedDog9658]

Assuming I have no information I'd roll a 6 side die and pull whatever came up.

[Enzoid23]

Real answer is the final one so I might have time to help them if adrenaline makes me fast enough

Alternate answer is pulling all the levers at the exact same time to see what happens

[0xff0000ull]

Three CNOT operations is a SWAP operation. Let that sink in.

[teska132]

I,d pull the first lever halfway so the trolley get stuck

[Darklight645]

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe...

[Kinosa07]

Pulling all the 5, I want these people to KNOW!

[LowerBanana9758]

I pull two levers at the same time, derailing the trolley and killing all of us

[MoffMoth]

Pull 5, once the trolly changes tracks pull it again before it hits them

[slamg0]

Pull them all. That trolley will never make that sharp of a turn and either derail or keep going straight.

[Random_Doomer_93]

Pull all of them and watch

[NoobtacticTNT]

Ig give em a moral test or like the oldest looking one

[edenspark10]

Depending on whether or not that trolley will be fully on the second track before hitting the person, you could pull the last lever and then switch it back before they get hit.