Everyday ethics: An 800-pound marshmallow

Suppose you found an 800-pound marshmallow in your backyard.

I suspect your first question would be how it got there, then who put it there. But the practical question might be: How do I get rid of it?

It might be a silly case, but it is an example of something called thought experiments. They have been used by philosophers and scientists for a long time to try to probe questions for which grid charts and statistics don’t seem able.

The most recent example of a thought experiment was offered on the recent episode of “Professor T” on PBS. His question for students was: Suppose a train was approaching and you were in control of the switch to determine which rail the train would take. Tied to one track is a famous scientist who has developed a treatment that might save millions from a terrible disease but has not yet shared the formula. On the other rail was your mother. Who would you save, and why?

Sounds like a ridiculous situation, but it’s a process for helping to explain ethical theories. For example, if you chose the scientist, you could be applying what’s known as the utilitarian theory, with the thesis that the best choice is to weigh who would benefit the most from your decision. If you think the theory is outdated, consider how governments often weigh options in their decisions, which one would bring the most and best results — the best bang for the buck.

If you chose to save your mother, however much you loved her, it would mean consigning millions to suffer. That might be an example of another theory, egotism, which puts your interests front and center. Of course, if you don’t like your mother, you might want to consult a therapist sooner rather than later.

Back to the marshmallow thought experiment, which could yield some interesting insights into ethical behavior.

First of all, assuming you’ll never find out how it got there or who put it there, what might the case reveal about ethics, which is essentially learning how to live well?

Obviously, even if you think marshmallows can’t possibly be heavy, can you imagine swallowing it whole? Of course not. All you might try is taking one bite at a time, which leads to the ethical rule of not trying to do too much, too quickly.  It’s the same with life — one bite at a time.

The second ethical insight from the marshmallow case might be if you want to move or eat the marshmallow it will take more than one person, hence the wisdom that depending on the scope of the problem to be solved, it takes a village to raise a child or eat a marshmallow.

If you still think thought experiments sound like a foolish game that academics ponder in Ivy League towers, consider this story from the world of science.

The famous philosopher and scientist Albert Einstein used thought experiments to understand things. One such experiment that made its way into helping children began with this question: What would happen if you could catch up to a beam of light as it moved? His response led to a different understanding of time, which led to the special theory of relativity.

Here’s a thought experiment you can try to help understand yourself.  Imagine a time in your life when you came to a crossroad.  You know now how your life developed, but what might have happened if you had taken a different road?  You can’t go back; life moves forward. But one choice you have is to learn from your past decisions, either not repeating them or appreciating who you are on your journey.

John C. Morgan is an author and former ethics professor who often resorted to using thought experiments in classes to help himself and students engage in creative and critical thinking,