Ethics Class Notes
Ethical Dilemma
Ethical Dilemma
An ethical dilemma is a situation in which a person faces a difficult choice
between two or more conflicting moral principles or values. The options
available often involve compromising one ethical principle to uphold another,
making it challenging to determine the right course of action.
Key Aspects:
● Moral Conflict: Ethical dilemmas arise from a clash between two or
more ethical values or principles.
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● Difficult Choices: The decision-maker must choose between
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alternatives, each with significant ethical implications.
● No Clear Solution: There is often no clear right or wrong answer,
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making the decision complex and nuanced.
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Types of Ethical Dilemmas
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1. Personal vs. Professional Ethics: When personal beliefs or values
conflict with professional duties or expectations.
● Example: A journalist must decide whether to report a story that could
harm a friend’s reputation but is in the public interest.
2. Right vs. Right: When two ethically sound principles conflict, and
choosing one means compromising the other.
● Example: A doctor deciding between saving a critically ill patient using
experimental treatment or adhering to hospital protocols that prohibit
unapproved methods.
3. Short-term vs. Long-term Consequences: When immediate actions
have significant long-term ethical implications.
By:G.Rajput
Ethics Class Notes
● Example: A company considering layoffs to survive an economic
downturn, knowing it will harm employees in the short term but
potentially save the company and jobs in the long run.
4. Justice vs. Mercy: When fairness and compassion are at odds.
● Example: A judge deciding whether to give a lenient sentence to a
first-time offender who committed a crime under duress.
Addressing Ethical Dilemmas
● Ethical Frameworks: Utilize established ethical theories and
frameworks to analyze the situation.
● Utilitarianism: Focus on the greatest good for the greatest number.
● Deontology: Adhere to duties and principles regardless of the
consequences.
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● Virtue Ethics: Consider what a virtuous person would do in the same
situation.
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● Consultation: Seek advice from colleagues, mentors, or ethics
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committees to gain different perspectives.
● Example: A healthcare provider consulting with an ethics board on a
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difficult end-of-life care decision.
● Reflective Thinking: Take time to reflect on the implications of each
option, considering long-term effects and stakeholder impacts.
● Example: An executive reflecting on how a business decision will affect
employees, customers, and the community.
● Transparency and Communication: Be open about the dilemma and
the decision-making process to maintain trust and accountability.
● Example: A nonprofit organization communicating with stakeholders
about the ethical challenges it faces in allocating limited resources.
Examples of Ethical Dilemmas
By:G.Rajput
Ethics Class Notes
● Medical Ethics: A nurse discovers a doctor making a mistake in patient
treatment. Reporting the error could save the patient but might harm the
doctor’s career and the hospital’s reputation.
● Business Ethics: A company facing financial difficulties must choose
between cutting corners in safety to stay afloat or adhering to safety
regulations and risking closure.
● Environmental Ethics: A government deciding between allowing a
development project that boosts the economy but harms the
environment, or protecting the environment at the cost of economic
growth.
● Educational Ethics: A teacher must decide whether to pass a
struggling student who has shown significant effort or fail them based on
academic performance.
Resolving Ethical Dilemmas in Professional Settings
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● Develop Clear Policies: Organizations should have clear ethical
guidelines and policies to help employees navigate dilemmas.
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● Example: A company code of ethics that outlines procedures for
handling conflicts of interest and ethical issues.
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● Training and Education: Regular training sessions on ethics can
prepare employees to handle dilemmas effectively.
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● Example: Workshops on ethical decision-making for healthcare
professionals.
● Support Systems: Establishing support systems like ethics committees
or hotlines where employees can seek advice.
● Example: An ethics hotline where employees can report concerns or
seek guidance anonymously.
Understanding and addressing ethical dilemmas are crucial for maintaining
integrity and ethical standards in both personal and professional contexts. It
requires careful consideration, consultation, and a commitment to upholding
ethical principles even in challenging situations.
Ethical dilemmas:
By:G.Rajput
Ethics Class Notes
1. Truth vs. Loyalty
● Scenario: An employee discovers a close colleague is falsifying reports
to meet targets.
● Dilemma: Reporting the colleague upholds honesty but may betray a
friendship and loyalty.
2. Individual Rights vs. Community Well-being
● Scenario: A community plans to build a much-needed public park, but it
requires the demolition of a historic building owned by a private citizen.
● Dilemma: Preserving the individual's property rights respects personal
ownership, while constructing the park benefits the broader community.
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3. Justice vs. Mercy
● Scenario: A student caught cheating in exams faces expulsion under
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school rules.
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● Dilemma: Enforcing the rule ensures justice and deters future cheating,
while showing leniency may allow for the student's redemption and
continued education.
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4. Short-term vs. Long-term Interests
● Scenario: A government decides whether to cut down a forest to boost
the economy through industrial projects.
● Dilemma: Immediate economic benefits support current livelihoods, but
preserving the forest ensures environmental sustainability for future
generations.
5. Confidentiality vs. Public Safety
By:G.Rajput
Ethics Class Notes
● Scenario: A doctor learns that a patient diagnosed with a contagious
disease refuses to inform public health authorities.
● Dilemma: Maintaining patient confidentiality upholds medical ethics,
while breaching it can prevent a public health crisis.
6. Professional Duty vs. Personal Morality
● Scenario: A lawyer is defending a client they know is guilty of a serious
crime.
● Dilemma: Defending the client honors the lawyer's professional duty
and right to a fair trial, while personal morality may urge them to seek
justice for the victim.
7. Autonomy vs. Beneficence
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● Scenario: A terminally ill patient refuses treatment that could extend
their life for a few months.
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● Dilemma: Respecting the patient's autonomy honors their right to make
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decisions about their own life, while persuading them to accept
treatment might benefit their health.
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8. Equality vs. Efficiency
● Scenario: A company implements a policy that promotes diversity but is
found to be less efficient than previous practices.
● Dilemma: Promoting equality ensures a fair and inclusive workplace,
while prioritizing efficiency may enhance overall performance and
profitability.
9. Duty to Employer vs. Duty to Family
By:G.Rajput
Ethics Class Notes
● Scenario: A professional is offered a promotion that requires relocating
to another city, but their family is settled and happy in the current
location.
● Dilemma: Accepting the promotion fulfils professional duty and career
advancement, while staying respects familial responsibilities and
stability.
10. Transparency vs. Practicality
● Scenario: A public official is aware of an upcoming policy change that
could cause public distress if announced prematurely.
● Dilemma: Being transparent with the public promotes trust and honesty,
while withholding the information until the policy is finalized may ensure
a smoother transition and prevent unnecessary panic.
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11. Corruption vs. Loss of Job
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● Scenario: An employee is pressured by their boss to participate in a
corrupt activity or face termination.
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● Dilemma: Participating in corruption is unethical and illegal, while losing
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the job can lead to financial instability and hardship.
12. Falsifying Reports vs. Project Cancellation
● Scenario: An engineer is asked to falsify safety reports to ensure a
project's continuation, knowing that honest reports would lead to its
cancellation.
● Dilemma: Falsifying reports endangers public safety, while project
cancellation leads to job losses and economic impact on the community.
13. Lying to Protect a Friend vs. Facing Legal Consequences
By:G.Rajput
Ethics Class Notes
● Scenario: A friend asks you to lie under oath to protect them from legal
trouble.
● Dilemma: Lying under oath is illegal and compromises personal
integrity, while refusing to lie could result in the friend facing severe
legal consequences.
14. Covering Up a Mistake vs. Admitting Failure
● Scenario: A doctor makes a mistake during surgery and considers
covering it up to avoid lawsuits and damage to their reputation.
● Dilemma: Covering up the mistake is unethical and risks patient health,
while admitting it could result in professional repercussions and loss of
trust.
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15. Exposing a Whistleblower vs. Corporate Collapse
● Scenario: An executive knows the identity of a whistleblower who
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exposed corporate fraud and is pressured to reveal their identity.
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● Dilemma: Exposing the whistleblower endangers their safety and
breaches confidentiality, while not revealing them could lead to the
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company's collapse and job losses.
16. Violating Privacy vs. Public Safety
● Scenario: A security official must decide whether to conduct invasive
surveillance on private citizens to prevent a potential terrorist attack.
● Dilemma: Violating privacy undermines civil liberties, while not
conducting surveillance could risk public safety.
17. Implementing a Harmful Policy vs. Resigning
● Scenario: A public servant is ordered to implement a policy they
believe will harm vulnerable populations or face resignation.
By:G.Rajput
Ethics Class Notes
● Dilemma: Implementing the policy causes harm to people, while
resigning means losing the ability to influence future positive changes.
18. Enforcing Discriminatory Laws vs. Risking Job Security
● Scenario: A police officer must enforce a law they believe is
discriminatory or face disciplinary action.
● Dilemma: Enforcing the law perpetuates discrimination, while not
enforcing it risks the officer's job security and career.
19. Suppressing Information vs. Causing Panic
● Scenario: A government official knows of an impending natural disaster
and must decide whether to suppress the information to prevent panic
or disclose it.
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● Dilemma: Suppressing information prevents panic but endangers lives,
while disclosing it might cause widespread fear and chaos.
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20. Using Torture for Information vs. Risking Lives
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● Scenario: An intelligence officer considers using torture on a suspect to
extract information about an imminent threat.
● Dilemma: Using torture violates human rights and ethical standards,
while not using it risks the lives of innocent people.
"Samaritan's dilemma"
In 1970 Buchanan said that the phrase "Samaritan's dilemma" was used by
economists to describe how a benevolent individual or institution transfers
what was intended to be short-term charity to those in need, only to find that
those on the receiving end are not using the assistance to improve
themselves but instead became dependent on the relief. As a result both
suffer.
By:G.Rajput
