Yvette responding to Michael Sandel – What’s the Right Thing to do?

Michael Sandel – What’s the Right Thing to do?

Sandel begins his talk with a scenario of a run away trolley.  Should the trolley driver kill 5 workers or 1 worker?  If you see a fat man above leaning over a bridge, do you push him and spare all the workers?  What makes these scenarios different/same?

One student in the audience brings about the point that the cause of the accident is a malfunctioning trolley, not human error, where pushing the man over is a human error.

Then he speaks about a doctor in an ER.   Who does he save 5 with less critical injuries, or the one in a life threatening injury? 

He then says that the issue of moral principles depends on consequences that will result from our actions. 

Moral Reasoning

·         Consequentialist – locates morality in the consequences of an act

·         Categorical – locates morality in certain duties and rights.

He talks about the theory of Maximize Utility – the balance of pleasure over pain, happiness over suffering.  The greatest good for the greatest number.

All of his scenarios were interesting, and then he would add a twist. 

To me some moral decisions depend on our vantage point of the circumstances. What may seem moral to one may not seem moral to another.

This is a very interesting topic when it comes to decisions in our school. Are we making good moral decisions and does everyone involved see it in the same way.  Are we doing the greatest good for the greatest number, or does this not apply for all situations?

I believe when teaching it to students, we need to listen to their perspective, how are they seeing it.  Then perhaps asks the students questions, like Sandel did with his group.  Have students look at all the angles.  Debate the topic.  I’m sure in our schools religion would certainly come up, whereas in the video, religion was not mentioned. 

I enjoyed the video and made me think about making moral decisions.