The Trolley Problem

There is a runaway trolley barreling down the railway tracks. Ahead, on the tracks, there are five people tied up and unable to move. The trolley is headed straight for them. You are standing some distance off in the train yard, next to a lever. If you pull this lever, the trolley will switch to a different set of tracks. However, you notice that there is one person on the side track. You have two options:

Do nothing and allow the trolley to kill the five people on the main track.

Pull the lever, diverting the trolley onto the side track where it will kill one person.

Which is the more ethical option? Or, more simply: What is the right thing to do?”

In my mind, first of all, critical thinking (rationality) is purposive, goal oriented; another way to ask the question is, what ought to be your goal? The rational egoist would ask “what’s in my best interest?” If she does nothing, how is she culpable? Does she have a moral obligation to do anything? If she pulls the switch or pushes the man over the bridge, she has committed an immoral act. The issue is now whether immoral acts are incommensurable. Would you consider this as choosing the lesser of two evils?