Moral Dilemmas
What would you do when faced with a
difficult moral choice?
• In ethics, it is helpful to consider hypothetical
and real scenarios of moral dilemmas.
What is a dilemma?
A dilemma is
• A situation where there is no clear “best
choice” between two or more alternatives.
• A situation where a person is forced to choose
between two conflicting alternatives, neither
of which is acceptable.
• If a person is in a situation wherein he/she
does not have to choose between two
alternatives, it is not a dilemma.
• Rather, it can just be a problematic or
distressful situation.
What are moral dilemmas?
• Dilemmas help us to focus our moral intuitions
and test our moral theories.
Are there any real moral dilemmas?
There are a number of possible reasons for thinking
that moral dilemmas do not really exist:
1. You might think that the ideal moral theory
should solve all potential dilemmas.
2. You might be a moral nihilist, and so deny that
there is any morally correct choice.
3. You might be a relativist, and so think that
whatever option you prefer is the right option for
you.
There are genuine moral dilemmas
only if…
• Some things are morally better than others.
• It is unclear which choice is the morally best
one.
Is this a moral dilemma?
Why or why not?
An Example of Moral Dilemma
The “Trolley Problem”
Imagine that you are an employee working for the train c
ompany as a switch operator. One day you see a train s
peeding down the track, its driver is in obvious distress
. You realize that the train has had a malfunction and is
unable to stop.
You look ahead of the train and see five workers working
on the track. If you allow the train to go ahead, it will s
urely kill all five.
However, you could divert the train by switching tracks.
On the alternate track, there is one worker, working al
one.
If you switch the train, you cause the death of one worker
; if you do nothing, five will die. What will you do?
Sartre’s soldier’s dilemma
• Jean-Paul Sartre, in his Existentialism and Human Emotions,
tells the story of a young student of his during World War II
who was faced with a difficult dilemma.
– The young man’s father was not on good terms with his mother
and was inclined to be a German collaborator.
– The young man’s brother had been killed in the German
offensive and the young man wanted to avenge his death.
– His mother lived alone with him and was grief stricken by the
treachery of her husband and the death of her oldest son.
• The young man is faced with the following decision: do I
stay with my mother (to comfort and care for her) or go
fight in the war (to avenge the death of my brother and
fight on behalf of my nation).
Sartre’s analysis
• Sartre reasons that there are no moral principles that can
ultimately guide these decisions. The dilemma exists
because of a genuine conflict in moral principles.
• It seems that the only way to determine the right choice is
to follow your values, preferences, or beliefs. But how do
you know what you value, prefer, or believe?
• Sartre says: “The only way to determine the value of this
affection is, precisely, to perform an act which confirms or
defines it. But, since I require this affection to justify my
act, I find myself caught in a vicious circle.” (27)
• Later on, he explains: “Man makes himself. He isn’t ready
made at the start. In choosing his ethics, he makes himself,
and force of circumstances is such that he cannot abstain
from choosing one.” (43)
Who will you save when your boat is
sinking and you may only save one?
• Your beloved mother who sacrificed
everything for you?
• Or your spouse with whom you want to grow
old with?
• Maria had to undergo a delicate delivery. It’s
either she or the baby would die. Her
husband Jose was asked if he would rather
save Maria or her baby.
• Maria wanted the baby to be saved, even if
she died.
• Jose wanted to choose Maria, but she might
hate him if he did and the baby died.
LEVELS OF MORAL DILEMMAS
Three Levels of Moral Dilemmas
1. Individual Dilemma
2. Organizational Dilemma
3. Systemic Dilemma
Individual Dilemma
• Is faced and has to be resolved by one person
or individual
Should you always tell the truth?
• A murderer at the door is looking for your
friend who is hiding in your house.
• Your co-worker is cheating on her time-sheet.
• You witness a parking-lot accident.
Should you take this job?
You are offered a job that will require you to do
things that you find morally questionable.
– If you don’t take it, someone else will.
– Maybe you can work for good from the inside.
– With the money you can take care of your family
and even give back to charities.
Organizational Dilemma
• Is another term for multi-person dilemma
• Has to be faced by an organization and be
solved in a consensus
Lay off Employees or Cut back the
Wage?
A company is on the verge of bankcruptcy. The
Board either has to lay off employees or cut b
ack their wage.
– If the company lays off employees, the company
will have reduced work force.
– If the company keeps the employees, the wages
must be cut below the minimum.
– If the company cuts the wage, they willbe
violating laws and the employees may lose
motivation.
Systemic Dilemma
• Also called Macro-Level
• Is a situation involving systems such as
political, economic, legal or social
• Is faced by people in authority
The West Philippine Sea Dilemma
- Rowen Untivero
1. The territorial dispute with China concerns not only the
Philippines but several Asian countries.
2. The disputed areas are abundant in gas, oil, and marine
resources. They are also vital to commercial and civilian
navigation.
3. For quite some time, the parties involved, some more than
others are or have already been positioning, sabre-rattling
and recently escalating military deployment to check and
countercheck each other
4. U.N.C.L.O.S. has ruled in favour of the Philippines, thrashing
the 9-dash claim of China but is incapable of enforcing the
ruling.
The West Philippine Sea Dilemma
5) China refuses to recognize the U.N.C.L.O.S. jurisdiction nor the
ruling; it has insisted on bilateral negotiations with each country;
meanwhile as the stalemate drags, China continues to build
artificial islands.
6) Recently the US, Japan and Australia have jointly urged China to
respect the international ruling
7) Sadly, ASEAN is not solid owing to Cambodia’s position.
8) Militarization contributes considerably to the tension in the
region. Such testosterone-filled proximity of China’s, each of the
Asian claimant’s as well as the allies’ (US, Japan and Australia)
military presence have an unnerving likelihood of sparking friction,
which may in turn precipitate armed conflict, intended or
otherwise.
The West Philippine Sea Dilemma
• Alternative 1: The Philippines should assert
its rights in the West Philippine Sea, but it may
cause open conflict with China.
• Alternative 2: The Philippines may let China
explore its territory, but possibly lose some of
it to the latter.
RESOLVING MORAL DILEMMAS
How do you resolve a moral dilemma?
• What sorts of duties, preferences, or values do you appeal t
o?
• Is it always a matter of the consequences or results?
• Does it matter which choice is more virtuous? Is that alway
s the same thing as the one that produces the best consequ
ences?
• Are there any actions that have intrinsic value
– Actions with intrinsic value should be followed above others tha
t produce the same results.
– There may even be some actions that are either so intrinsically g
ood or so intrinsically bad that they should or should not be don
e at all cost.
• As with Sartre, we might conclude that moral principles do
not justify the action, but the action justifies the principles.
Metaethical questions:
• What is good? How do we determine which
kinds of actions are better than others?
• Are there any objective moral goods (i.e.,
things that are good in general)?
• Does the good derive from the result/goal, or
does it derive from the nature of the action?
• Should we look for our moral systems to
resolve moral dilemmas or are dilemmas a
necessary part of ethics?
Can you think of any moral dilemmas
you encounter in everyday life?
