MORAL DILEMMAS

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Explain as a moral dilemma as a moral
experience
• Distinguish between a moral dilemma and a false
dilemma
ACTIVITY: Read then answer the question
on the following slide.
THE PREGNANT LADY AND THE DYNAMITE
A pregnant woman leading a group of five 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 else will
drown. What should they do?
 ANALYSIS
1. What would you do if you were one of the
men? Explain why you decide to act that way?
2. The situation or the experience you went
through is a moral dilemma. What then is
moral dilemma?
3. In finding yourself in a moral dilemma, a moral
experience? Why or why not?
 MEANING OF MORAL
DILEMMA
MORAL DILEMMA – is a problem in the decision-making
between two possible options, neither of which is
absolutely acceptable from ethical perspectives. (Ethical
Dilemma) – “Real dilemma”
Moral dilemmas 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.
When dilemmas involve human actions which have
moral implications, they are called ethical or moral
dilemmas.
Ethical or Moral Dilemmas – as a “decision-making
problem between two possible moral imperatives,
neither of which is unambiguously acceptable or
preferrable. – Oxford dictionary (it is called ethical
paradox in moral philosophy)
 Based on the definition, moral dilemmas have
the following in common:
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. but the agent cannot do both (or all) of the
actions.”
*Thus the agent seemed condemned to moral failure;
no matter what he does, he will do something wrong
(or fail to do something that he ought to do)
This means that moral dilemmas are situations where
two or 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 or she decides to do.
Moral dilemmas present a situations where there is
tension between moral values and duties that more or
less on equal footing. The decision maker has to choose
between a wrong and another wrong. The decision-
maker is a deadlock.
To have a genuine dilemma, one of the conflicting solutions
should not override the other.
In order to have a “genuine” moral dilemma it must also be
true that neither of the conflicting requirements is overridden.
(McConnell, T. 2019) This means that none of the conflicting
requirements is solved by the other. The persons involved in the
dilemma are in a deadlock. They find themselves in a “damn-if-
you-do and damn-if-you don’t” situation.
Ex. Story from the Bible about King Herod. – The king had
inadvertently designed a moral trap for himself, a dilemma where
whatever he decided to do would be morally wrong. (SELF-
INFLICTED DILEMMA – moral dilemma because of personal
mistake)
 Classification of Dilemmas
Real Dilemmas are situations in which the tension is
between moral values or duties that are, more or less, on
equal footing. In a real dilemma, the choice is between a
wrong and another, roughly equal wrong. – Ethical or moral Dilemma
False dilemmas are instances in which it is clear what ought
to be done but in which there is temptation or pressure to
act in another way.
False dilemmas are situations in which the decision-maker
has a moral duty to act in one way but is tempted or
pressured to act in another way.
 MEANING OF FALSE
DILEMMA
False Dilemma is a situation where the decision-
maker has a moral duty to do one thing, but is
tempted or under pressure to do something else.
A false dilemma is a choice between right and a
wrong. Ex. A lawyer or an accountant can face an
opportunity to prioritize self-interest over client’s
interest (Conflict-of interest)
 APPLICATION
Compose your own Ethical or
Moral Dilemmas and False
Dilemma. Explain your
composition.