Utilitarians vs. Deontologists

The trolley problem stages a collision between two major ethical frameworks. Utilitarians say pull the lever and push the man — minimize total deaths, period. Deontologists (following Kant) say you must never use a person as a mere means to an end — pushing the man treats him as a tool.

Neither position is comfortable. Pure utilitarianism leads to conclusions most people find monstrous — like harvesting one healthy person's organs to save five sick ones. Pure deontology means allowing preventable deaths so that your own hands stay clean. Most people, faced with enough variations, end up somewhere in between.