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🚃 Trolley Problem Simulator

An interactive ethical dilemma simulator that explores moral philosophy through the lens of the classic trolley problem and its many variants. Discover whether you lean utilitarian or deontological in your moral reasoning.

Next.js React TypeScript Tailwind CSS

✨ Features

Core Experience

  • 8 Core + 4 Extended Dilemmas — From the classic trolley problem to modern scenarios like AI judges and genetic engineering
  • Extended Mode — Toggle on for 12 total dilemmas including vaccine allocation, AI sentencing, memory manipulation, and designer babies
  • Two Philosophical Frameworks — Every choice maps to either utilitarian (outcome-focused) or deontological (duty-based) ethics
  • Animated Visualizations — Watch the trolley scenario play out with SVG animations, including impact effects
  • Comprehensive Results — Get a detailed ethical profile with statistics, analysis, and philosopher commentary

Interactive Elements

  • Timed Mode — Optional pressure with customizable timer (10-120 seconds)
  • Confirmation Phase — "Is this your final answer?" prompt with half-timer for second thoughts
  • Auto-Skip — Questions are skipped (not randomly answered) when timer expires
  • Mind Change Tracking — Records when you switch answers and analyzes the pattern

Results & Insights

  • Dominant Philosophy — See if you lean utilitarian, deontological, or balanced
  • Consistency Score — How aligned are your choices with a single framework?
  • "What Would Philosophers Say?" — Commentary from thinkers like Kant, Bentham, and Singer on each of your choices
  • Scenario Variants — "Food for thought" twists after each answer (e.g., "What if it was your child?")
  • Hesitation Analysis — Response time tracking reveals which dilemmas conflicted you most
  • Aggregate Comparison — See how your choices compare to everyone else

🎭 The Dilemmas

Core Scenarios (8)

# Scenario Category Difficulty
1 The Classic Trolley Problem Transportation Warm-Up
2 The Footbridge Dilemma Transportation Hard
3 The Surgeon's Dilemma Medical Ethics Gut-Wrenching
4 The Self-Driving Car Technology Hard
5 The Lifeboat Crisis Survival Gut-Wrenching
6 The Time Traveler's Burden Sci-Fi Ethics Soul-Crushing
7 The Surveillance State Privacy & Security Hard
8 The Whistleblower's Choice Corporate Ethics Soul-Crushing

Extended Scenarios (+4)

# Scenario Category Difficulty
9 The Vaccine Lottery Public Health Hard
10 The AI Judge Justice & Technology Soul-Crushing
11 The Memory Wipe Personal Identity Gut-Wrenching
12 The Genetic Editor Bioethics Soul-Crushing

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

  • Node.js 18+
  • pnpm (recommended) or npm

Installation

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/bedigambar/Trolley-Problem-Simulator
cd trolley-problem-simulator

# Install dependencies
pnpm install

# Start development server
pnpm dev

Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser.

Build for Production

pnpm build
pnpm start

📁 Project Structure

app/
├── page.tsx              # Home page with CTA, timer, and extended mode settings
├── test/page.tsx         # Main quiz flow
├── result/page.tsx       # Results display
├── learn/page.tsx        # Philosophy education page
├── scenarios.ts          # All 12 dilemma definitions (8 core + 4 extended)
├── types.ts              # TypeScript interfaces
├── globals.css           # Tailwind imports and CSS variables
├── layout.tsx            # Root layout with fonts
├── api/
│   └── trolley/route.ts  # API for aggregate statistics
└── components/
    ├── ScenarioCard.tsx       # Main dilemma card with timer logic
    ├── TrolleyVisualizer.tsx  # Animated SVG visualization
    └── ResultsDashboard.tsx   # Comprehensive results display

🛠️ Tech Stack

  • Framework: Next.js 16 with App Router
  • Language: TypeScript 5
  • Styling: Tailwind CSS 4
  • Fonts: Geist Sans & Geist Mono
  • State: React useState/useRef (no external state library)
  • Storage: localStorage for user choices, in-memory for aggregate stats

📊 API Endpoints

POST /api/trolley

Record a user's choice for aggregate statistics.

{
  "scenarioId": "classic",
  "choice": "A",
  "philosophy": "utilitarian",
  "responseTimeMs": 4500
}

GET /api/trolley

Retrieve aggregate statistics across all users.

{
  "totalResponses": 1234,
  "overallUtilitarian": 678,
  "overallDeontological": 556,
  "scenarioStats": {
    "classic": {
      "totalResponses": 200,
      "optionA": 156,
      "optionB": 44,
      "avgResponseTimeMs": 5200
    }
  }
}

🧠 Philosophy Background

Utilitarianism

"The greatest good for the greatest number." — Jeremy Bentham

Actions are judged by their consequences. If pulling the lever saves five lives at the cost of one, pull it — the math is clear.

Deontological Ethics

"Act only according to that maxim whereby you can will that it should become a universal law." — Immanuel Kant

Some actions are inherently wrong regardless of outcomes. Using a person as a means to an end violates their dignity.

📝 License

MIT License — feel free to use, modify, and distribute.

🙏 Acknowledgments

  • Philippa Foot — Created the original trolley problem (1967)
  • Judith Jarvis Thomson — Introduced the footbridge variant (1985)
  • MIT Moral Machine — Inspiration for the self-driving car scenario
  • The countless philosophers whose ideas inform these dilemmas

What would you do?