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A thought experiment in ethics where a runaway trolley is heading down the tracks toward five unaware individuals. You can pull a lever to switch the trolley onto another track with one individual on it. The experiment questions the morality of action versus inaction.

A game theory scenario where two partners in crime are isolated and must choose to betray each other or stay silent. The optimal decision for each depends on the choice of the other, exploring the conflict between individual and mutual interest.

A scenario used by Kohlberg to assess moral reasoning where Heinz must decide whether to steal a drug he cannot afford to save his dying wife. It questions whether breaking the law is justifiable to save a life.

A critique of utilitarianism suggesting a hypothetical being that receives much more pleasure from resources than anyone else, leading to the question of whether it's ethical to divert all resources to it.

Proposed by Robert Nozick, this thought experiment asks if one would plug into a machine that would provide the experience of a perfect life, raising questions about the nature of happiness and reality.

An argument by John Searle that a machine could syntactically process language without understanding its semantics, challenging the concept of artificial intelligence having a true mind.

A scenario where you are connected to a famous violinist who needs your kidneys to survive. By disconnecting, the violinist will die. The thought experiment examines bodily autonomy and its implications for abortion rights.

A paradox in quantum mechanics, where a cat in a box with a poison that has a 50% chance of being released is considered simultaneously alive and dead. It questions the nature of quantum superposition and observation.

From Plato's Republic, it questions whether a man who becomes invisible with a ring would still be moral, challenging the idea that people are inherently ethical or only so because of societal pressure.

An experiment led by Philip Zimbardo to investigate the psychological effects of perceived power, focusing on the struggle between prisoners and prison guards. It demonstrated how social situations can influence behavior.

Proposed by Donald Davidson, regarding a man who is instantly destroyed in a swamp while an exact replica with the same memories appears. It examines the nature of personal identity and continuity.

A philosophical thought experiment where Mary, a scientist who knows everything about color but has never experienced it, finally sees color. It explores the knowledge argument and consciousness.

A hypothesis that a brain could be sustained outside the body in a vat of life-sustaining liquid and connected to a computer providing it with experiences, questioning the nature of reality and our perception of it.

A narrative illustrating a utopian society that only maintains its happiness by the suffering of a single child. It raises questions about societal happiness at the cost of individual suffering.

A scenario where you can save five people needing organ transplants by sacrificing one healthy individual. This thought experiment examines the ethics of killing one to save many and utilitarianism.

A set of philosophical problems from ancient Greece questioning the nature of motion and division into parts, notably stating that to get to point B from point A, one must always cover half the remaining distance, never arriving.

A hypothetical scenario used by John Rawls to argue for a system of justice. Individuals choose societal principles from an original position of a veil of ignorance, not knowing their place in society.

An exploration of what a person might do if they became invisible and hence could act without fear of reprisal, delving into the notions of morality, power, and corruption.

A dilemma where a group of people in a lifeboat must decide whom to sacrifice to prevent it from sinking. It explores the moral implications of decisions made for survival in dire circumstances.