The Trolley Problem and the Presidential Election
In a recent article [1] John Garvey, President of Catholic University of America, claims that choice of candidate in the US presidential election presents us with a moral dilemma analogous to Philippa Foot’s famous trolley problem which asks whether the driver of a runaway trolley would be acting morally correctly if, in order to save the lives of five men in its path, he steers along another track, in the process killing a single child but thereby saving five lives. It is argued that changing direction violates the ethical principle that evil should not be done so that good may result from it.
Dr. Garvey toys with the idea that the choice between presidential candidates may be of similar nature. This is a misleading and dangerous false analogy.
Suppose, instead, that there are two drivers, one with a far worse driving record than the other. If for some important reason a driver must be chosen, then it is clear that choosing the best driver is a moral obligation. Choosing the worst driver, or leaving the selection to chance, is direct cooperation with evil. Failure to choose the best driver is morally equivalent to choosing the worst driver.
The Never Trump Movement, many Catholic Bishops, clergy, and others seem to be under the media-driven illusion that both presidential candidates are equally morally flawed. A perusal of the videos [2], [3], and WikiLeaks should be sufficient to convince anyone that this position does not withstand scrutiny.
Fieles a la Verdad October 19, 2016
- John Garvey, How the presidential election is like a runaway trolley, October 19, 2016.
- Clinton Cash, The Movie.
- Dinesh D’Souza, Hillary’s America.
