Screw private property
Depending on the amount of time to make the choice, ask what the people on the tracks can offer in exchange for their lives. If the bribe is acceptable, pull the lever.
If not, well..
Why would you rather kill three people than let a train derail onto someone's land? Don't humans inherently have value because they're alive?
Don't humans inherently have value because they're alive?
No. Humans have value because as social creatures we take relationships to heart. Even dead, humans hold value in the memories they've left behind.
A standard human I have no connection to - assuming the humans in this scenario are strangers - holds no value to me. So unless value can be obtained - ie: from a bribe - I wouldn't go out of my way to assist.
I've read through this and had some comments, though it seems to have died. Actually I have a question for everyone who voted to save them. Say there was no NAP to begin with. Say the tied up people were guilty of, and had served time for the following crimes: 1 Pedophile, 1 Murderer, 1 rapist, 1 Serial Killer, and 1 Arsonist. Say there is no penalty for choosing not to save them, but if you do save them, they are all very likely to go on to commit their crimes again. Do you still save them or do those people have no value.