MORAL

DILEMMAS
 A moral dilemma is a situation or
event that questions the morals of a
person in a temporary situation. The
person can return to those morals after
the event, but for the duration of the
event they must choose one moral that
over rules another.
Moral dilemmas are ethical
quandaries that present
challenges as to which decision to
make at any given moment. 
Cassandra J. Smith
Where you are faced with a
situation that two beliefs you hold
conflict with each other and one
belief must be discarded
temporarily to solve the problem
The most common moral dilemma put
forward is “is it right to save many people
if i kill one person”, a situation that
contrast the morality of murder with the
morality of salvation. In such a case the
answer is variable depending on the
individual’s personality and culture which
will combine to put a higher priority on
one moral over another.
 Moral dilemmas are serious issues in
workplaces like the military, politics,
and medicine, where human lives can
be determined on a regular basis. Moral
dilemmas can also be found at lesser
degrees in the school yard where
children have to choose one friend over
another.
The main thing is that these moral
choices are temporary and are thus
fluid and changeable. The problem
only occurs if the person has to make
the same choice repetitively, which
can have a more permanent effect.
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

epistemic dilemma - involves situations where there are two or
more moral requirements that conflict with each other. The moral agent
hardly knows which one takes precedence over the other.
Ex: going home early vs helping someone hurt
you meet along the way.
TYPES OF MORAL DILEMMAS
 There are several types of moral dilemmas, but the most common of
them are categorized into the following:

Ontological moral dilemma, on the other hand involves two

or more moral requirements, yet neither of these conflicting
requirements overrides each other.
Ex: A medical doctor with only one pack of
blood needs to choose between soldier A
or soldier B as both need blood transfusion.
  TYPES OF MORAL DILEMMAS
2) self-imposed and world imposed dilemmas

Self- Imposed Moral Dilemma - is caused by a moral

agent’s wrongdoings.

Ex: A congressional candidate who promised

the people to protect the environment and
promised favors to the mining corporation
who supported his candidacy
 TYPES OF MORAL DILEMMAS
 

2) self-imposed and world imposed dilemmas

World-imposed Moral Dilemma- certain events in the
world place the moral agent in a situation of moral conflict.
Ex. During World War II Sophie was forced to
choose which of her two children should
go to the gas chamber
TYPES OF MORAL DILEMMAS
 

3) Obligation and prohibition dilemmas

Obligation Dilemma- involves more than
having one feasible action as obligatory.
Ex. The obligation to stay and protect your
mother or to leave her and join the army to
serve your country and protect many
people.
 
TYPES OF MORAL DILEMMAS

4) single agent and multi- person dilemmas

Single agent- the agent “ought, all things considered, to do A,
ought, all things considered, to do B, and she cannot do
both A and B”.
Example: 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.
TYPES OF MORAL DILEMMAS
 

4) single agent and multi- person dilemmas

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.”
Examples:
1) A family may be torn between choosing to terminate or
prolong the life of a family member.
2) 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. 
 LEVELS OF MORAL DILEMMA

A moral dilemma is a situation in which

a person is torn between right and wrong.
A moral dilemma involves a conflict with the
very core of a person's principles and values.
The choice the person makes may leave him
feeling burdened, guilty, relieved, or
questioning their values .There are
difficulties in arriving at the solutions to the
problems of dilemma.
The three complex situations leading
to moral dilemmas are:
1. The problem of vagueness. One is
unable to distinguish between good and
bad principles. Good means an action that
is obligatory. For example code of ethics
specifies that we should obey the laws
and follow standards
Example:
Refuse bribe or accept gift and maintain
confidentiality?
The three complex situations leading
to moral dilemmas are:

2. The problem of conflicting reasons. One

is unable to choose between two good
moral solutions. One has to fix priority
through knowledge and value system.
Example:
A  doctor can only save either a mother or
her child.
The three complex situations leading
to moral dilemmas are:
3. The problem of disagreement - there may
be two or more solutions and none of them
mandatory. These solutions may be better
or worse in some respects but not in all
aspects. One has to interpret, apply
different moral reasons and analyze and
rank decisions. Select the best solution
under the existing and most problematic
situation  
LEVELS OF MORAL DILEMMA

INDIVIDUAL DILEMMA- a moral

dilemma experienced by a person
which challenges his values or
priorities.
Individual Ethical Decision-Making

There are many approaches to the individual

ethical decision-making process in business.
However, one of the more common was
developed by James Rest and has been
called the four-step or four-stage model of
individual ethical decision-making. Numerous
scholars have applied this theory in the
business context.
The four steps include:

� ethical issue recognition

�ethical (moral) judgment

�ethical (moral) intent

�ethical (moral) behavior.

1. ETHICAL ISSUE RECOGNITION.
⮚ Before a person can apply any standards of ethical
philosophy to an issue, he or she must first
comprehend that the issue has an ethical
component. This means that the ethical decision-
making process must be "triggered" or set in motion
by the awareness of an ethical dilemma. Some
individuals are likely to be more sensitive to potential
ethical problems than others. Numerous factors can
affect whether someone recognizes an ethical issue;
some of these factors are discussed in the next
section.
2. ETHICAL (MORAL) JUDGMENT.

⮚ If an individual is confronted with a situation or issue

that he or she recognizes as having an ethical
component or posing an ethical dilemma, the
individual will probably form some overall
impression or judgment about the rightness or
wrongness of the issue. The individual may reach
this judgment in a variety of ways, as noted in the
earlier section on ethical philosophy.
3.ETHICAL (MORAL) INTENT.

• Once an individual reaches an ethical

judgment about a situation or issue, the next
stage in the decision-making process is to
form a behavioral intent. That is, the
individual decides what he or she will do (or
not do) in regard to the perceived ethical
dilemma.
3.ETHICAL (MORAL) INTENT.

• According to research, ethical judgments are

a strong predictor of behavioral intent.
However, individuals do not always form
intentions to behave that are in accord with
their judgments, as various situational factors
may act to influence the individual otherwise.
4.ETHICAL (MORAL) BEHAVIOR.
• The final stage in the four-step model of
ethical decision-making is to engage in some
behavior in regard to the ethical dilemma.
Research shows that behavioral intentions
are the strongest predictor of actual behavior
in general, and ethical behavior in particular.
However, individuals do now always behave
consistent with either their judgments or
intentions in regard to ethical issues.
4.ETHICAL (MORAL) BEHAVIOR.

• This is particularly a problem in the business

context, as peer group members,
supervisors, and organizational culture may
influence individuals to act in ways that are
inconsistent with their own moral judgments
and behavioral intentions.
 ORGANIZATIONAL DILEMMA
is a complex situation at workplace that the
employees and the managers have to face that result
in a conflict of moral imperatives. It is the paradox of
choosing one option over the other as both the options
available transgress each other. Organizational
dilemma is a challenge for every organization
nowadays; it is all about how to match discrepancy
between individual needs and aspirations on the one
hand and the organizational goals on the other.
Organizational dilemma may include different types of
problems.
 STRUCTURAL DILEMMA

     Finding a satisfactory system of roles

and relationship is an ongoing universal
struggle. Managers confront enduring
structural problems often without answers.
What will your answer be?

• The Unfaithful Friend

• You go out with your husband for dinner at a new restaurant you
have not frequented before. It is in a part of town you rarely visit.
You are shocked to see your friend’s spouse having dinner with a
very young, attractive person. From the way they are behaving, it is
obvious they are more than friends. The couple finish their meal and
leave without seeing you. They behave very affectionately on the
way out the door. Do you:

• Tell your friend, knowing you probably will not be believed and that it
may ruin your friendship?
• Say nothing about seeing the couple as it is none of your business;
they may even have an open relationship?
• Sarcastic Friend
• Your friend has a great sense of humour.
However, sometimes his jokes involve
making fun of others in inappropriate
ways. He will point out a physical flaw or
look for something odd or different about a
person and make an unkind comment. You
feel uncomfortable when your friend does
this. Do you say something or just laugh
along with him?
• Hit and Run
• Late one night you are driving home in a bad rainstorm.
A drunk reels out in front of your car and you try to stop,
but hit him. Nobody sees you. The guy looks and smells
as if he is homeless. You check to see how badly he is
hurt and realize he is dead. You have never even had a
speeding ticket and are an upright, professional, with a
family and are well-known and respected in your
community. Do you make a report anonymously, confess
your crime, or drive on home and forget about it,
knowing no one is going to pursue the death of a
homeless drunk?