trolley problem

American  

[trahl-ee prawb-luhm] / ˈtrɑl i ˈprɔb ləm /

noun

plural

trolley problems

1. a hypothetical ethical dilemma in which a trolley would kill several people if it continues on its current track but would kill one person if diverted; used to discuss the ethics of sacrificing one to save many.

2. a situation in which all the available choices are bad or harmful.

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Example Sentences

Screenshots shared online include claims the chatbot praised them for being angry at someone who asked them for directions, and unique version of the trolley problem.

From BBC

Hernandez played a “Movie Guy” who actually hasn’t seen most of the Oscar-nominated movies he’s talking about, but it was Jane Wickline who charmed with her awkward dating advice in the form of romantic songs about the trolley problem, the ethical puzzle in which someone must choose between saving one person on a train track or saving five people on a separate track from a runaway trolley.

From Los Angeles Times

Wickline’s songs are always clever, but she’s also good at selling the emotional beats behind them, even when it’s as ridiculous as a love song themed to the trolley problem.

From Los Angeles Times

While this trolley problem is indeed dark, it's a choice many people face every day.

From Salon

“Humane” is a thought experiment sprung to bloody life, a cross between the trolley problem and dystopian extinction nightmares.

From New York Times