I brought up whether we can know the people because there is a related thought experiment — John Rowl’s “veil of ignorance”
I’ll paste here:
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The “veil of ignorance” is a thought experiment by philosopher John Rawls that helps people imagine making decisions without knowing their social status. The veil of ignorance is also known as the “original position”.
How it works
– Imagine setting up a society without knowing your place in it
– Consider your choices without knowing your race, gender, abilities, or wealth
– Choose principles of justice for your society
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BUT what’s different about it, is his question was in “setting up a society” for what’s most fair for the most people in a society.
The trolley problem is strangely contrived.
a basic utilitarian answer would be:
kill the one, leave the three.
Choosing not to choose is still a choice. So if the trolley automatically rolls over the 3, it is the same as if you pulled the level to choose the 3.
But in either case, are you responsible for their deaths?