Moral Dilemmas

Lesson 3
Learning Outcomes…
• Explain moral dilemma as a moral experience
• Distinguish between a moral dilemma and a false
dilemma
Introduction
• “Sometimes it’s the smallest decisions that
can change one’s life forever”(Keri Russel).
• Human as we are, we are called to decide
in every issues we encounter in life.
• We make decisions based on our reason or
feeling at a given situation.
• It is said hat when you find yourself in a moral
dilemma, you are in for a moral experience.
 What Would YOU Do?
An ethical dilemma
Ponder this…
A pregnant woman leading a group of people out of a cave on a
coast is stuck in the mouth of that cave. In a short time high tide
will be upon them, and unless she is unstuck, they will all be
drowned except the woman, whose head is out of the cave.
Fortunately, (or unfortunately,) someone has with him a stick of
dynamite. There seems no way to get the pregnant woman loose
without using the dynamite which will inevitably kill her; but if
they do not use it everyone will drown. What should they do?
Read more at http://examples.yourdictionary.com/ethical-dilemma-examples.html#6UOjPVQ4huGyuEgr.99
Now answer the following
question without saying a
word...

USE THE DYNAMITE
WITH THE KNOWLEDGE that
using the dynamite will kill the
pregnant woman but save the
others, you believe that the group
should use the dynamite
STAND UP (WITHOUT SAYING
A WORD) AND STAND ON
THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROOM
(YOUR LEFT, NOT MINE!)
SAVE THE
UNBORN CHILD
WITH THE KNOWLEDGE that
not using the dynamite and
allowing the pregnant lady and her
unborn child to live while the rest
of the group dies you believe that
the group should not use the
dynamine
STAND UP (WITHOUT SAYING
A WORD) AND STAND ON
THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE
ROOM (YOUR RIGHT, NOT
MINE!)
 NOW, partner up with
someone from the opposite side
of the room and CHANGE
THEIR MIND...
 Two or more
TRUE courses of
ETHICAL actions that are
DILEMMA ethically
justifiable.
 ● The greater good is more important and more
lives will be saved with the dynamite
USE THE
● The impact will be lessened by the death of
DYNAMITE only one person, unless you consider the
unborn a person (this is a whole other ethical
dilemma)
WHY IS THIS THE ETHICALLY
RIGHT THING TO DO? ● There is a slim chance that the woman could
survive the blast
 SAVE THE ● The adults have already experienced life and
living

UNBORN ● The child is innocent

CHILD ● The woman did nothing wrong

WHY IS THIS THE ETHICALLY

● Who knows what potential might exist within
RIGHT THING TO DO? that child? Perhaps he will discover the cure
to cancer?
 ● Using the dynamite knowing that it will harm
LEGALLY the woman and her child is murder in the first
degree or second degree depending on her

SPEAKING condition after the explosion.

● According to the law, the families of the

THE LAW SAYS: people who die from drowning have the right
to sue the woman for wrongful death.
SO what is the LEGAL
thing to do?
LAW ETHICS
● MINIMAL ● MAXIMAL
STANDARDS REFLECTION STANDARDS
OF CONDUCT OF CONDUCT
● WHAT YOU ● WHAT YOU
CAN DO SHOULD DO
MORAL DILEMMA DEFINED
• Moral Dilemma is a problem in the decision making
between two possible options, neither of which is
absolutely acceptable from an ethical perspective. It is
also referred to as ethical dilemma.
• The Oxford Dictionary defines Ethical Dilemma as a
“decision-making problem between two possible `moral
imperatives, neither of which is unambiguously
acceptable or preferable. It is sometimes called an
ethical paradox in moral philosophy.”
MORAL DILEMMA DEFINED
• Moral Dilemma is a problem in the decision making
between two possible options, neither of which is
absolutely acceptable from an ethical perspective. It is
also referred to as ethical dilemma.
• The Oxford Dictionary defines Ethical Dilemma as a
“decision-making problem between two possible `moral
imperatives, neither of which is unambiguously
acceptable or preferable. It is sometimes called an
ethical paradox in moral philosophy.”
MORAL DILEMMA DEFINED
• Based on the definitions give, moral dilemmas have the
following characteristics:
• 1.the agent is required to do each of two (or more)
actions which are morally unacceptable.
• 2.the agent can do each of the actions
• 3.The agent cannot do both (or all) of the actions. The
agent thus seems condemned to moral failure; no matter
what he/she does, he/she will do something wrong (or fail
to do something that he/she ought to do.)
MORAL DILEMMA DEFINED
• This means that moral dilemmas are situations where two
or more moral values or duties makes demands on the
decision-maker, who can only honor one of them, and
thus will violate at least one important moral concern, no
matter what he/she decides to do.
• Moral dilemmas present more or less equal footing. The
decision-maker has to choose between a wrong and
another wrong. The decision-maker is a deadlock.
MORAL DILEMMA DEFINED
• To have a genuine dilemma, one of the conflicting
solution should not override the other.
• For instance, “the requirement to protect others from
serious harm overrides the requirement to repay one’s
debts by returning a borrowed item when the owner so
demands.” In addition to the features mentioned, in order
to have a genuine moral dilemma it must also be true that
neither of the conflicting requirements is overridden (Mc
Connell, 2019).
MORAL DILEMMA DEFINED

• This means that none of the conflicting

requirements is solved by the other.
• The person involved in the dilemma are in
deadlock. They find themselves in a “damn-
if-you-do and damn-if-you-don’t” situation.
MORAL DILEMMA DEFINED

• This means that none of the conflicting

requirements is solved by the other.
• The person involved in the dilemma are in
deadlock. They find themselves in a “damn-
if-you-do and damn-if-you-don’t” situation.
King Herod
MEANING OF FALSE DILEMMA
• False dilemma is a situation where the decision-
maker has a moral duty to do one thing, but
tempted or under pressure to do something else.
• A false dilemma is a choice between a right and
a wrong. Example: a lawyer or an accountant
can face an opportunity to prioritize self-interest
over the client’s interest.
MEANING OF FALSE DILEMMA

• A false dilemma, also known as a false

dichotomy or a black-and-white fallacy, is a
type of logical fallacy in which a situation is
presented as having only two possible
outcomes or options, when in reality there
are more alternatives or nuances.
MEANING OF FALSE DILEMMA
• Imagine a debate about education reform where two extreme
positions are presented as the only options:

• Option 1: Maintain the current education system without any changes.

• Option 2: Completely overhaul the education system with a radical
new approach.

• This situation creates a false dilemma by suggesting that the only

choices are either keeping everything as it is or making drastic,
wholesale changes.
Does the divergent road tell what a moral
dilemma is?
WHAT TO DO WHEN FACED WITH A
MORAL DILEMMA?
• Dilemmas are conflicts in the application of moral standards.
• The question is which moral standards must be followed?
• In a state of emergency, necessity demands no moral law.
• You have to decide based on your best judgment or
choose based on the principle of lesser evil or greater good
or urgency.
• When faced with a moral dilemma, there are many factors
to consider.
WHAT TO DO WHEN FACED WITH A
MORAL DILEMMA?
• Who is involved and why?
• Is action necessary and, if so, what do you do?
• Perhaps, it’s better to tell someone else about the dilemma and
let them decide what to do.
• Maybe there are other solutions that are not plain to see at first.
• No matter the situation, here are some recommendations to
help figure out how to handle a moral dilemma - use logic
instead of emotion.
WHAT TO DO WHEN FACED WITH A
MORAL DILEMMA?
• While this may seem difficult to do, it’s often the best way
to handle a situation without being too biased one way or
another, depending on the circumstances.
• Using logic forces a person to consider as many
perspectives as possible to find the best possible solution.
• Thinking logically can also help a person calm down and
relax instead of being too emotionally charged to make a
reasonable decision.
WHAT TO DO WHEN FACED WITH A
MORAL DILEMMA?
• Understandably, there will be situations in
which this is not possible due to the nature of
the dilemma.
• In this case, it might be best to wait on a
decision until emotions aren’t so volatile.
WHAT TO DO WHEN FACED WITH A
MORAL DILEMMA?
• Weigh the pros and cons of each decision.
• This is a bit tricky because there may be only cons for
each decision.
• In this case, logic dictates that the fewest number of
cons is likely the most reasonable decision.
• No matter what, working through a pros and cons list
might bring
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