1. A surgeon walks into the hospital as a nurse rushes forward with the following case. "Doctor, an ambulance just pulled in with five people in critical condition. Two have damaged kidney, one a crushed heart, one a collapsed lung, and one a completely ruptured liver. We don't have time to search for possible organ donors, but a healthy young man just walked in to donate blood and is sitting in the lobby. We can save all five patients if we take the needed organs from this young man. Of course he won't survive, but we can save all five patients."
1. Is it morally permissible for the surgeon to take this young man's organs?
2. A train is moving at a speed of 150 mph. All of a sudden the conductor notices a light on the panel indicating complete brake failure. Straight ahead of him on the track are five hikers, walking with their backs turned, apparently unaware of the train. The conductor notices that the track is about to fork, and another hiker is on the side track. The conductor must make a decision: He can let the train continue on its current course, thereby killing five hikers, or he can redirect the train onto the side track and thereby kill one hiker but save five.
1. Is it morally permissible for the conductor to take the side track?
3. Frank is on a footbridge over the trolley tracks. He knows trolleys and can see that one approaching the bridge is out of control, with its conductor passed out. On the track under the bridge there are five people; the banks are so steep that they will not be able to get off the track in time. Frank knows that the only way to stop and out-of control trolley is to drop a very heavy weight in its path. But the only available, sufficiently heavy weight is a large person also watching the trolley from the footbridge. Frank can shove the large person onto the track in the path of the trolley, resulting in death; or he can refrain from doing this, letting the five die.
1. Is it morally permissible for Frank to push the large person onto the tracks?
4. Frank is on a footbridge over the trolley tracks. He knows trolleys and can see that one approaching the bridge is out of control, with its conductor passed out. On the track under the bridge there are five chimpanzees; the banks are so steep that they will not be able to get off the track in time. Frank knows that the only way to stop and out-of control trolley is to drop a very heavy weight in its path. But the only available, sufficiently heavy weight is a large chimpanzee also watching the trolley from the footbridge. Frank can shove the large chimp onto the track in the path of the trolley, resulting in death; or he can refrain from doing this, letting the five die.
1. Should Frank push the large chimpanzee onto the tracks?
5. Ned is taking his daily walk near the trolley tracks when notices that the approaching trolley is out of control. Oscar sees what happened: the conductor has passed out and the trolley is headed toward five people walking on the track; the banks are so steep that the five hikers will not be able to get off the track on time. Fortunately Ned is standing next to a switch that he can throw, which will temporarily turn the trolley onto a side track. There is a heavy object on the side track. If the trolley hits the heavy object, the object will slow it down, thereby giving the hikers time to escape. The heavy object is, however, a large person standing on the side track. Ned can throw the switch, preventing the trolley from killing the hikers, but killing the large person. Or he can refrain from doing this, letting the five hikers die.
1. Is it morally permissible for Ned to switch the train to the side track?
6. Oscar is taking his daily walk near the trolley tracks when notices that the approaching trolley is out of control. Oscar sees what happened: the conductor has passed out and the trolley is headed toward five people walking on the track; the banks are so steep that the five hikers will not be able to get off the track on time. Fortunately Oscar is standing next to a switch that he can throw, which will temporarily turn the trolley onto a side track. There is a heavy object on the side track. If the trolley hits the heavy object, the object will slow it down, thereby giving the hikers time to escape. There is, however, a person standing on the side track in front of the heavy object. Oscar can throw the switch, preventing the trolley from killing the hikers, but killing the person in front of the weight. Or he can refrain from doing this, letting the five hikers die.
1. Is it morally permissible for Oscar to switch the train to the side track?
7. A brother and sister are on vacation together and decide that to enrich their wonderful relationship they should make love. Since he has been vasectomized and she is on the Pill, there is no risk of pregnancy. They make passionate love and it is a wonderful experience for both. They keep this as their secret, something that they will always remember and cherish.
1. Was their activity immoral?

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