This whole thing is raising some interesting questions, honestly.
Such as the train scenario giving you an illusion of control. Really, you have no control in it. Somebody WILL die. The train will have to run over either one person or multiple people. Now, clearly, nobody here would WANT that train to run over anybody. Instead, now we're presented with a choice - one that's not really a choice, but maybe it makes you feel like you have some control of the outcome. And in that choice, you either step back, make no decision, and allow somebody to die (at random)... or you actively choose who gets to die and who gets to live. Playing God, as if you are the one true arbiter of morality.
Sort of fascinating, I suppose. Is it more moral to make a choice (potentially selfishly or potentially unselfishly) or more moral to make no choice at all and let what happens happen?
"Is it fate or chance? I can never decide," as Flemeth says in DA2.
There are arguments for both paths, I suppose. We want to feel active, in control. Feel like we've exhausted all opportunities, done everything we could. But ARE we really in control, in instances like that? Or is it just the illusion of control?
Not to dredge up something grossly personal from my life, but I feel like the internal conflict may add to the philosophical discussion. My mother chose to end her life. Three years ago as of this coming Monday, actually (hard to believe the anniversary is so close again). Sadly, she had a pattern of depression and making vocal threats about such. I had always been able to talk her down. Always, my whole life. Then came a night of a big blow-up fight. After the fight, she tried to call back. For the first time, I was inactive (I let the call go to voicemail purposely). In all honesty, I was exhausted. There were years of mental and emotional turmoil and exhaustion that led to the point of a decision. An active decision to remain inactive for once.
The next morning, I received a call from my Dad informing me she'd ended her life that night.
If I'd answered my phone, might I have been able to talk her down again? Possibly. Would it have saved her that night? Possibly. Or was it just prolonging the inevitable, that this was something she was eventually going to do anyway regardless of what control I did or did not think I had over the situation? Also possibly. Now, in the end, obviously the action was not mine. I didn't pull the trigger and kill her. But did my inaction contribute to the end result? I don't know.
After three years, I still don't know if the choice to not act was the right one or the wrong one to make at the time. Or if making a different choice would have ultimately affected the outcome at all anyway.
Do we choose to always act for what we think is best? Or do we choose to stay out of the conflict and observe what happens? Do we really have any control over certain events? Or is it just an illusion of control? Do you choose which track the train travels down? Or do you stand back and let it go where it may... and if you choose that, is there or is there not still some burden of guilt on you for choosing inaction over action?
"Is it fate or chance? I can never decide."