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Would you sacrifice one person to save five? - Eleanor Nelsen

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TEDEd Animation

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Imagine you’re watching a runaway trolley barreling down the tracks, straight towards five workers. You happen to be standing next to a switch that will divert the trolley onto a second track. Here’s the problem: that track has a worker on it, too — but just one. What do you do? Do you sacrifice one person to save five? Eleanor Nelsen details the ethical dilemma that is the trolley problem.


The decision to flip the switch, sacrificing one worker to save five, is consistent with which philosophical principle?

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Eleanor Nelsen
  • Director Eoin Duffy
  • Animator Tyler Morgan, Super Dasil, Mahesh, Hovsepyan Karen, Cooper Custom
  • Sound Designer David Kamp
  • Associate Producer Jessica Ruby
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Narrator Addison Anderson

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