Question

Using professional, personal, or academic experience, describe an ethical situation you encountered or an ethical situation encountered by Oprah Winfrey and how it was handled.

Answer 1

Ethical Issue: In the Business world, a very popular case of a runaway trolley going down the tracks that has five workers working on the track is observed. Where I stand, there is a switch next to me that could help me divert the same to the second track where there is one worker working. The issue is whether to press the switch, divert the trolley and let the trolley kill one worker or do nothing and let the trolley kill 5 such workers who are already on the track of the trolley.

Ethical Dilemma: 1. Change the track and save the five workers by sacrificing the life of one worker and being responsible, though partially, for the death of one worker.

2. Take no action at all and thereby not being responsible for the death of any of the workers.

Action: The Principle of Utilitarianism establishes that of beneficence: a decision or act is right and proper and good only if it generates the greatest amount of benefit for the largest number of people at the lowest cost or harm to others. Hence, the principle itself supports the matter of ‘greater good’ of the people. In the above scenario, if no action is taken, we may not be directly responsible for the deaths of the workers, but since we were aware of the repercussions, not undertaking any action, in spite of being in sound mind, shall also be termed as an ‘Immoral act’. Moreover, if the track is not shifted, it will any way kill five workers. So, going as per this theory, it is suggested that we divert the trolley onto a second track although it is like choosing between two morally wrong acts but the intensity of the latter being relatively lesser than the former. Here, the act of saving five workers more than that of one workers, will relatively ease out the ethical issue.

This ethical model perhaps is the only model that shall help leading with appropriate remedies because considering the urgency of the case, one needs to act immediately with no other ways else to stop the trolley.