The Moral Case for Pushing Utilitarians Onto Trolley Tracks

In his paper "Should We Sacrifice the Utilitarians First?", Saul Smilansky argues for a "Platinum Rule"--treat others as their moral principles would have everyone treated.

Just about every introductory ethics class I’ve ever taught has included a day where I illustrate the Trolley Problem with some crude drawings of stick figures and train tracks on the white board, and I ask for a show of hands. Who would save the five people on the first track by diverting the train onto the secondary track where there’s only one person…