Book Review-Would You Kill the Fat Man PDF

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Edmonds, D. (2015). “Would you kill the fat man?: the trolley problem and what your answer tells us about right and wrong.” Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Introduction: As we all know that human lives is completely filled with the moral and ethics whether it is big or small but as human it is also difficult to not follow our moral actions and judgements our own action. In this book “Would you kill the fat man? the trolley problem and what your answer tells us about right and wrong” by Edmonds David introduced us to the three women and it will provide us philosophical view on ethics through their viewpoints. IN this book Edmonds also has mentioned human real-life scenarios and scenarios of trolley to get reader’s advice and get an answer to the questions. For example, let’s see the question of our book that says, “would you kill the fat man? As per my point of view and also as per Edmonds point of view there is no right answer for this question. But if I have to answered this question then I would like to say that yes, I would kill the fat man. After studying ethics, it is hard to make decision but if I can save five lives and have to kill one then I would select to kill one life over to save five lives.

Background Information: Philosophy in the human life is one of the most important factors because it helps human being in developing ethical human and civilization. Ethics also known as moral philosophy and it is related with the what is morally good and bad and what is morally right and wrong. Many of the philosopher has studies it for the centuries and it is continuing to grow as human evaluation of interaction. It helps humans to develop ability to solve our lives critical problems, our persuasive powers and our communication skills. It is also help us to think critically about the issues we are facing and issues that create from the human’s interactions. As we had read this book know that Edmonds use trolleyology theory to explain ethical dilemmas and we have seen in our history. As we know all human beings’ natures are not then it is easy to pass their own decision for other but we do not know their actual real side so it might not always right. Actually, trollyology’s theory and experiment was developed by the Phillipa Foot. To continues study for the ethics and moral new copy of the book has added to the trolley problem.

Summary: “Would you kill the fat man?: the trolley problem and what your answer tells us about right and wrong.” By Edmonds is divided into four parts. First part of the book is Philosophy and the Trolley. This part Edmonds has described into eight chapters. Edmonds start the book with the Churchill’s dilemma, that during 1944 the German has covered UK by bombing different areas. German think that attacking on UK by bomb helps them into their plan. But instead it reversed the by attacking on UK, German missing their target and saving wealthiest areas of the UK including Buckingham. British military was quick in responding to approve the use of this plan. The main concern was that the bomb was moving to the area were middle class and workingclass people lived. After that Churchill has approve the plan and many operations building and lives was successfully saved. At that time the British had two choices, one is to take advantage of the opportunity and to deceive Nazis in bombings areas where less damage or second one is do nothing and wait for the Nazis to continue bombing and destroy and kill mare lives. The trolley’s main question is about what is right and wrong and how should we behave in the situation like this? (pg.12) But as we know that right answer to question like this is not yet subjective and philosophers are also not agreed on what is the right thing to do in the situation like Churchill. In the second part of the book, Edmonds has described experiments and the trolley, where we find variety of real-life event and trolley problems that coincide with the moral dilemmas. Edmonds have introduced us to the new movement, icon of the new movement is “x-phi” which is stand for “Experimental Philosophy”. (pg.87) This movement claims to be return on earliest time, when philosophy had a broader self-conception, and was not separated from other disciplines. One of the philosophy leaders has mentioned it that experimental philosophy is “more a retro movement, and attempt to go back to what philosophy was traditionally about.” (pg.88) TO justified that we have true belief about moral then we can make sure by checking the three conditions are satisfied 1. I believe it, 2. It is true, and 3. I have good reason for believing it to be true. Edmonds has mentioned dominant standard on how to manage institutions. In the third part, Edmonds focuses on the mind and brain. For those who are believing in that humans are governed by the dream team of reason and benevolence, much of the work of social psychology us unsettling. Although we like to fool ourselves believing that we freely make decisions in the light of informed and reasoned reflection, the growing evidence from experimentation is that reason often takes a back seat to unconscious influences. As mention din the book that in the past decades there has been an explosion of research into all aspects of the brain, driven by improvements in scanning technology. In the fourth and last part of the book, Edmonds talk about the trolley and its critics. In this part, I would like to mention that trolleyology mainly focuses on what should individuals need to do to improve their personality and behavior but it does not mention that analyze the character of the individual. As we know there is no right or wrong answer in the morality and ethics it is hard to make decision about what is right and wrong things to do.

Evaluation: In this book Edmond has mentioned some good example of the real-life scenario and trolley example which is help full in our life to follow the moral and ethics. Book also has lots of information which leads readers in to the deep of the specific topics and gives a clearly understanding about the topics. Book also tell us about how much philosophy is important in human lives and how much it helps in the real-life scenarios. It is also helps us to improve the ability to make hardest decision.

Conclusion: In this part I would like to describe my question and answer as per my view point. “Would you kill the fat man?” After studying ethics and laws it is very hard to make decision whether I should kill the fat man or not. But as per my point of view, I would kill the fat man to save other fives lives. I think it is not good to think about to kill someone or even a kill someone is worst. There is only two option, I have to kill fat man to save five lives or have to die five lives to save fat man so even not a one is right to do. But if I want to save five live instead saving one lives than I would select to kill one lives. As philosopher mentioned in the book that there is not right or wrong answer then I will go with this which is more better....