Ethical Dilemmas in War Decisions

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The hypothetical scenario of sacrificing one's little finger compared to the death of millions, as discussed by Adam Smith, raises interesting ethical questions. The real historical decision faced by the United States during World War II between developing an atomic bomb or launching a ground attack on Japan, highlights the ethical complexities of war. The potential Japanese defense plan would have led to significant casualties, creating a grave ethical dilemma for the US decision-makers.

In the original version of a now classic thought experiment, five people are about to be killed by a runaway trolley. Would you divert the trolley knowing that your choice will kill a single innocent bystander? Listen as Michael Munger of Duke University argues that Adam Smith gave an answer to this challenge a few hundred years before it was proposed by the philosopher Philippa Foot and brought vividly to life in the miniseries, The Good Place. Along the way, Munger and EconTalk's Russ Roberts discuss effective altruism, the moral claims of Peter Singer, what the trolley problem really tells us, if anything, and how our moral choices differ according to context.