A dilemma is a situation where a person is forced to choose between

two or more conflicting options, neither of which is acceptable. As we

can see, the key here is that the person has choices to make that will
all have results she does not want. For example, a town mayor faces a
dilemma about how to protect and preserve a virgin forest and at the
same time allow miners and loggers for economic development in the
town.

It must be noted, however, that if a person is in a difficult situation but

is not forced to choose between two or more options, then that person
is not in a dilemma. The least that we can say is that that person is
just experiencing a problematic or distressful situation. Thus, the most
logical thing to do for that person is to look for alternatives or
solutions to address the problem.

When dilemmas involve human actions which have moral implications,

they are called ethical or moral dilemmas.

Moral dilemmas, therefore, are situations where persons, who are

called “moral agents” in ethics, are forced to choose between two or
more conflicting options, neither of which resolves the situation in a
morally acceptable manner. Consider the following example:

Lindsay is a deeply religious person; hence, she considers killing

humans absolutely wrong. Unfortunately, it is found out that Lindsay is
having an ectopic pregnancy. As is well known, an ectopic pregnancy
is a type of pregnancy that occurs outside the uterus, most commonly
in the fallopian tubes. In other words, in ectopic pregnancy, the fetus
does not develop in the uterus. Now, if this happens, the development
of the fetus will definitely endanger the mother. Thus, if Lindsay
continues with her pregnancy, then there is a big possibility that she
will die. According to experts, the best way to save Lindsay’s life is to
abort the fetus, which necessarily implies killing the fetus. If we do not
abort the fetus, then Lindsay, as well as the fetus, will die.

In the above example of a moral dilemma, Lindsay is faced with two

conflicting options, namely, either she resorts to abortion, which will
save her life but at the same time jeopardizes her moral integrity or
does not resort to abortion but endangers her life as well as the fetus.
Indeed, Lindsay is faced with a huge moral dilemma.
According to Karen Allen, there are three conditions that must be
present for situations to be considered moral dilemmas. First, the
person or the agent of a moral action is obliged to make a decision
about which course of action is best. Here, the moral agent must
choose the best option and act accordingly. In the case of the example
of above, Lindsay may opt to abort the fetus as the best course of
action. Second, there must be different courses of action to choose
from. Hence, as already pointed out above, there must be two or more
conflicting options to choose from for moral dilemmas to occur. And
third, no matter what course of action is taken, some moral principles
are always compromised. This means that, according to Allen, there is
no perfect solution to the problem. And for this reason, according to
Benjiemen Labastin, in moral dilemmas, the moral agent “seems fated
to commit something wrong which implies that she is bound to morally
fail because in one way or another she will fail to do something which
she ought to do. In other words, by choosing one of the possible moral
requirements, the person also fails on others.”

Types of Moral Dilemmas

There are several types of moral dilemmas, but the most common of
them are categorized into the following: 1) epistemic and ontological
dilemmas, 2) self-imposed and world-imposed dilemmas, 3) obligation
dilemmas and prohibition dilemmas, and 4) single agent and multi-
person dilemmas.

Epistemic moral dilemmas involve situations wherein two or more

moral requirements conflict with each other and that the moral agent
hardly knows which of the conflicting moral requirements takes
precedence over the other. In other words, the moral agent here does
not know which option is morally right or wrong. For instance, I ought
to honor my promise to my son to be home early, but on my way home
I saw a sick old man who needs to be brought to the hospital. Where
does my actual duty lie? We cannot deny that there are conflicting
duties (moral requirements) here, but we need to note that we want a
fuller knowledge of the situation: Is an important purpose being served
by my getting home early? How serious is the condition of the sick old
man? Indeed, I could hardly decide which option is morally right in this
situation. However, one option must be better than the other; only, it
needs fuller knowledge of the situation―thus the term “epistemic”
moral dilemmas. Ontological moral dilemmas, on the other hand,
involve situations wherein two or more moral requirements conflict
with each other, yet neither of these conflicting moral requirements
overrides each other. This is not to say that the moral agent does not
know which moral requirement is stronger than the other. The point is
that neither of the moral requirements is stronger than the other;
hence, the moral agent can hardly choose between the conflicting
moral requirements. For instance, a military doctor is attending to the
needs of the wounded soldiers in the middle of the war. Unfortunately,
two soldiers urgently need a blood transfusion. However, only one bag
of blood is available at the moment. To whom shall the doctor
administer the blood transfusion? For sure, we could not tell whether
administering a blood transfusion to Soldier A is more moral than
administering a blood transfusion to Soldier B, and vice versa.

A self-imposed moral dilemma is caused by the moral agent’s

wrongdoings. For example, David is running for the position of the
town mayor. During the campaign period, he promised the indigenous
peoples in his community to protect their virgin forest just to gain their
votes, but at the same time, he seeks financial support from a mining
corporation. Fortunately, David won the elections, yet he is faced with
the dilemma of fulfilling his promised to the indigenous peoples and at
the same time allows the mining corporation to destroy their forest.
Indeed, through his own actions, David created a situation in which it
is impossible for him to be discharged from both obligations. A world-
imposed moral dilemma, on the other hand, means that certain events
in the world place the agent in a situation of moral conflict. William
Styron’s famous Sophie’s Choice is a classic example. “Sophie
Zawistowska has been asked to choose which of her two children, Eva
or Jan, will be sent to the gas chamber in Auschwitz. An SS doctor,
Fritz Jemand von Niemand, will grant a dispensation to only one of
Sophie’s children. If she does not choose which one should live, Dr.
von Niemand will send both to their death. Sophie chooses her
daughter Eva to go to the gas chamber. Her son, Jan, is sent to the
Children’s Camp.”

Obligation dilemmas are situations in which more than one feasible

action is obligatory, while prohibition dilemmas involve cases in
which all feasible actions are forbidden. The famous “Sartre’s Student”
is a classic example. It reads:
The famous Sophie’s Choice, as mentioned above, is a classic
example of prohibition dilemmas.

Finally, in single agent dilemma, the agent “ought, all things

considered, to do A, ought, all things considered, to do B, and she
cannot do both A and B”. In other words, the moral agent is
compelled to act on two or more equally the same moral options but
she cannot choose both. For instance, a medical doctor found out that
her patient has HIV. For sure, the medical doctor may experience
tension between the legal requirement to report the case and the
desire to respect confidentiality, although the medical code of ethics
acknowledges our obligation to follow legal requirements and to
intervene to protect the vulnerable. In multi-person dilemma, on the
other hand, “…the situation is such that one agent, P1, ought to do A,
a second agent, P2, ought to do B, and though each agent can do
what he ought to do, it is not possible both for P1 to do A and P2 to
do B.” According to Benjiemen Labastin, “the multi-person does not
inasmuch as agents X, Y and Z may possibly have chosen conflicting
moral choices – that is, person X chooses A instead of B and C and
person Y chooses B instead of A and C, so on and so forth. The multi-
person dilemma occurs in situations that involve several persons like a
family, an organization, or a community who is expected to come up
with consensual decision on a moral issue at hand. A family may be
torn between choosing to terminate or prolong the life of a family
member. An organization may have to choose between complying with
the wage law by cutting its workforce or by retaining its current
workforce by paying them below the required minimum wage. The
multi-person dilemma requires more than choosing what is right, it
also entails that the persons involved reached a general consensus. In
 such a manner, the moral obligation to do what is right becomes more
complicated. On the one hand, the integrity of the decision ought to be
defended on moral grounds. On the other hand, the decision must also
prevent the organization from breaking apart”.

Teaching Moral and Ethical Dilemmas

Do you remember a time when you had to make a choice and each option
was equally unpleasant? Perhaps you lied, and something terrible happened,
or you were faced with the task of divulging the truth and being punished for
lying. This mess is called a dilemma: a situation that challenges an agreeable
solution. In literature, dilemmas form the central conflict many protagonists
encounter. Many people face all kinds of dilemmas in life, and the choice they
make can have long-lasting impacts. Sometimes these dilemmas have even
caused changes in society and history! Common types of dilemmas
include classic, ethical, and moral.

Classic Dilemma
A classic dilemma is a choice between two or more alternatives, in which the
outcomes are equally undesirable, or equally favorable. The dilemma does
not typically involve a moral or ethical crisis, but the person or character’s life
may change as a result of their decision. As a young adult, some examples of
classic dilemmas include:
 Deciding between colleges to attend

 Uncertainty about which job offer to take

 Wondering whether or not to make the move to a new city

Classic dilemmas are more than simple choices, because they usually prompt
the person to think about the outcomes of the choices. As a result, a character
in a story may find themselves on an adventure, in fear for their lives, or
instituting change because of the choice they made in their dilemma.
 Ethical Dilemma
An ethical dilemma arises when a person is forced to decide between two
morally sound options, but they may conflict with the established boundaries
of a business, a governmental agency, or the law. Some ethical dilemmas
may involve following the truth versus being loyal to a friend; following the
laws or rules versus having compassion for an individual’s plight; and
concerns about an individual person versus the larger impact on a community.
An ethical dilemma differs from a moral dilemma because it very much
involves following rules rather than one’s conscience, although one’s
conscience can certainly move an individual to consider breaking the rules.
Ethical dilemmas are especially important in the medical and criminal justice
fields, and in careers such as social work and psychology. In addition, most
public servants have to undergo ethics training to address common dilemmas
they may come across while working with the public. Recent advancements in
science have also brought forward interesting and uncharted ethical
dilemmas. Some examples of ethical dilemmas include:
 An administrative assistant discovers her boss has been laundering money,
and she must decide whether or not to turn him in.

 A doctor refuses to give a terminal patient morphine, but the nurse can see
the patient is in agony.

 A government contractor discovers that intelligence agencies have been

spying on its citizens illegally, but is bound by contract and legalities to keep
his confidentiality about the discovery.

Children may also face some ethical dilemmas. Some examples include:
 A friend got the math test ahead of time and says you can look at it. You
struggle with math and you know it would help your grade if you knew the
questions ahead of time.

 You are going to the movies with your friends and tickets are half price for kids
who are under 12 years old. You are 13 years old, but could easily pass for
younger.
 You are hanging out with a friend who isn’t very popular. You run into other
friends who invite you to hang with them, but they do not want your friend to
come.

Moral Dilemma
A moral dilemma is a situation in which a person is torn between right and
wrong and looks at the very core of a person's principles and values. The
choice the person makes may leave them feeling burdened, guilty, relieved, or
questioning their values. A moral dilemma often forces the individual to decide
which option he or she can live with, but any outcomes are extremely
unpleasant no matter what. Moral dilemmas are often used to help people
think through the reasoning for their beliefs and actions, and are common in
psychology and philosophy classes. Some examples of moral dilemmas
include:
 The classic “lifeboat dilemma”, where there are only 10 spaces in the lifeboat,
but there are 11 passengers on the sinking ship. A decision must be made as
to who will stay behind.

 A train with broken brakes is speeding towards a fork in the tracks. On the left,
there is a woman crossing with her two children; on the right, there is a man
doing routine maintenance on the tracks. The engineer must decide which
side to aim the speeding train towards.

 A husband learns he has a terminal illness and he decides to ask his wife for
assistance in ending the pain before it gets too bad.

 A friend discovers her best friend’s boyfriend is cheating. She must decide
whether to tell her friend or keep it a secret.

Moral dilemmas also provide interesting social topics for students to examine
in position and research papers. Common topics for such assignments often
include:
1. The Death Penalty
2. Doctor-Assisted Suicide
3. Ending the Drug War
4. The Draft
5. Abortion
6. Government Spying
7. Prison Reform
8. Legalizing (or decriminalizing) Marijuana
9. Fossil Fuels vs. Renewable Energy

The three levels of

moral dilemmas
are:
1. Personal dilemmas
2. Organizational dilemmas
3. Structural dilemmas
The three levels of
moral dilemmas
are:
1. Personal dilemmas
2. Organizational dilemmas
3. Structural dilemmas
Moral dilemmas come in three levels – individual, organizational and
structure.

A. Individual

This refers to personal dilemmas. It is an individual’s damn-if-you-do-and-damn-if-you-don’t situation.

B. Organizational

An organizational dilemma is a puzzle possed by the dual necessities of a social organization and
member’s self-interest. It may exist between personal interests and organizational welfare or between
group interests and organizational well-being. Organizational dilemmas may likewise occur in business,
medical, and public sector.

C. Structural

A structural dilemma is a conflict of perspective of sectors, groups and institutions that may be affected
by the decisions.
Decision making is the process of making choices by identifying a decision, gathering
information, and assessing alternative resolutions.
Using a step-by-step decision-making process can help you make more deliberate,
thoughtful decisions by organizing relevant information and defining alternatives. This
approach increases the chances that you will choose the most satisfying alternative
possible.

Step 1: Identify the decision

You realize that you need to make a decision. Try to clearly define the nature of the
decision you must make. This first step is very important.

Step 2: Gather relevant information

Collect some pertinent information before you make your decision: what information is
needed, the best sources of information, and how to get it. This step involves both
internal and external “work.” Some information is internal: you’ll seek it through a
process of self-assessment. Other information is external: you’ll find it online, in books,
from other people, and from other sources.
Step 3: Identify the alternatives
As you collect information, you will probably identify several possible paths of action, or
alternatives. You can also use your imagination and additional information to construct
new alternatives. In this step, you will list all possible and desirable alternatives.

Step 4: Weigh the evidence

Draw on your information and emotions to imagine what it would be like if you carried
out each of the alternatives to the end. Evaluate whether the need identified in Step 1
would be met or resolved through the use of each alternative. As you go through this
difficult internal process, you’ll begin to favor certain alternatives: those that seem to
have a higher potential for reaching your goal. Finally, place the alternatives in a priority
order, based upon your own value system.

Step 5: Choose among alternatives

Once you have weighed all the evidence, you are ready to select the alternative that
seems to be best one for you. You may even choose a combination of alternatives.
Your choice in Step 5 may very likely be the same or similar to the alternative you
placed at the top of your list at the end of Step 4.

Step 6: Take action

You’re now ready to take some positive action by beginning to implement the alternative
you chose in Step 5.

Step 7: Review your decision & its consequences

In this final step, consider the results of your decision and evaluate whether or not it has
resolved the need you identified in Step 1. If the decision has not met the identified
need, you may want to repeat certain steps of the process to make a new decision. For
example, you might want to gather more detailed or somewhat different information or
explore additional alternatives.