A Wall Street Journal article recently asked readers the following questions. What's your answer?
a. An accident has caused deadly fumes to enter the school ventilation system where it will kill five children. You can stop it by throwing a switch, but doing so will kill one child in another room. Do you throw the switch?
b. Say that a doctor can save five patients with an organ transplant that would end the life of a patient who is sick, but not yet dead. Does she do it?
c. What is the difference between the two situations described in a and b1.
d. How important are opportunity costs in your decisions?