Topic 8 (Moral Dilemma).ppt

Moral Dilemma

1. Moral Dilemma
GEC 008

2. Definition of Dilemma
•is a situation where a person is forced
to choose between two or more
conflicting options, neither of which is
acceptable.
•the key here is that the person has
choices to make that will all have results
she does not want.

3. Definition of Dilemma
•For example:
A town mayor faces a dilemma
about how to protect and
preserve a virgin forest and at the
same time allow miners and
loggers for economic development
in the town.

4. Definition of Dilemma
•if a person is in a difficult situation but is not
forced to choosebetween two or more
options, then that person is not in a
dilemma.
–we can say is that the person is just experiencing
a problematic or distressful situation.
–the most logical thing to do for that person is to
look for alternatives or solutions to address the
problem.

5. Definition of Moral Dilemma
•are situations where persons, who are called
“moral agent” 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.

6. Example
Lindsayisadeeplyreligiousperson;hence,sheconsiders
killinghumansabsolutelywrong.Unfortunately,itisfound
outthatLindsayishavinganectopicpregnancy.Asiswell
known,anectopicpregnancyisatypeofpregnancythat
occursoutsidetheuterus,mostcommonlyinthefallopian
tube.Inotherwords,inectopicpregnancy,thefetusdoesnot
developintheuterus.Now,ifthishappens,thedevelopment
ofthefetuswilldefinitelyendangerthemother.Thus,if
Lindsaycontinueswithherpregnancy,thenthereisabig
possibilitythatshewilldie.Accordingtoexperts,thebest
waytosaveLindsay’slifeistoabortthefetus,which
necessarilyimplieskillingthefetus,thenLindsay,aswellas
thefetus,willdie.

7. Three Conditions That Must Be Present For
Situations To Be Considered Moral Dilemmas.
1.Thepersonortheagentofamoralactionis
obligedtomakeadecisionaboutwhich
courseofactionisbest.
themoralagentmustchoosethebest
optionandactaccordingly.
E.g.Lindsaymayopttoabortthefetus
asthebestcourseofaction.

8. Three Conditions That Must Be Present For
Situations To Be Considered Moral Dilemmas.
2.Theremustbedifferentcoursesofactionto
choosefrom.
3.Nomatterwhatcourseofactionistaken,
some moral principles are always
compromised.
bychoosingoneofthepossiblemoralrequirements,the
personalsofailsonothers

9. Types of Moral Dilemma
Thereareseveraltypesofmoraldilemmas,but
themostcommonofthemarecategorizedinto
thefollowing:
1)epistemicandontologicaldilemmas,
2)self-imposedandworld-imposeddilemmas,
3)obligationdilemmas and prohibition
dilemmas,
4)singleagentandmulti-persondilemmas.

10. Epistemic Moral Dilemma
Involvesituationswhereintwoormoremoral
requirementsconflictwitheachotherandthat
themoralagenthardlyknowswhichofthe
conflictingmoral requirements takes
precedenceovertheother.
Inotherwords,themoralagentheredoesnot
knowwhichoptionsismorallyrightorwrong.

11. Epistemic Moral Dilemma
Forexample:
A father is ought to honor his
promise to his son to be home early,
but on his way home he saw a sick
old man who needs to be brought to
the hospital. Where does his actual
duty lie?

12. Epistemic Moral Dilemma
Weneedtonotethatwewantafullerknowledge
ofthesituation:
•Isanimportantpurposebeingservedbymygetting
homeearly?
•Howseriousistheconditionofthesickoldman?
Oneoptionmustbebetterthantheother;only,
itneedsfullerknowledgeofthesituation.

13. Ontological Moral Dilemma
Involvesituationswhereintwoormoremoral
requirementsconflictwitheachother,yet
neitherofthese conflictingmoral
requirementsoverrideseachother.
Neitherofthemoralrequirementisstronger
thantheother;hence,themoralagentcan
hardlychoosebetweentheconflictingmoral
requirements.

14. Ontological Moral Dilemma
Forexample:
A military doctor is attending to the needs
of the wounded soldiers in the middle of
the war. Unfortunately, two soldiers
urgently need a blood transfusion.
However, only one bag of blood is
available at the moment. To whom shall
the doctor administer the blood
transfusion?

15. We could not tell whether administering
a blood transfusion to soldier A is more
moral than administering a blood
transfusion to soldier B and vice versa.
Ontological Moral Dilemma

16. Self –Imposed Moral Dilemma
iscausedbythemoralagent’s
wrongdoings.

17. Self –Imposed Moral Dilemma
Forexample:
David is running for the position of town mayor.
During the campaign period, he promised the
indigenous peoples in his community to protect their
virgin forest just to gain their votes, but at the same
time, he seeks financial support from a mining
corporation. Fortunately, David won the elections, yet
he is faced with the dilemma of fulfilling his promise
to the indigenous peoples and at the same time
allowing mining corporation to destroy their forest.

18. Self –Imposed Moral Dilemma
throughhisownactions,David
createdasituationinwhichitis
impossibleforhimtobedischarged
frombothobligations.

19. World –Imposed Moral Dilemma
meansthatcertaineventsinthe
worldplacetheagentinasituation
ofmoralconflict.

20. Forexample:
Sophie Zawistowska has been asked to choose which
of her two children, Eva or Jan, will be sent to the gas
chamber in Auschwitz. An SS doctor, Fritz Jemand
von Niemand, will grant a dispensation to only one of
Sophies’ children. If she does not choose which one
should live, Dr. von Niemand will send both to their
death. Sophie chooses her daughter Eva to go to the
gas chamber. Her son, Jan, is sent to the Children’s
Camp.
World –Imposed Moral Dilemma

21. Obligation and Prohibition Dilemma
Obligationdilemmaaresituations
inwhichmorethanonefeasible
actionisobligatory.
Prohibition dilemmas involve
casesinwhichallfeasibleactions
areforbidden.

22. TheFrenchstudent'sbrotherwaskilledin1940bythe
Germans,buthisfathernonethelesslaterabandonedthe
familytotheGermans.Thestudenthadtochoosebetween
stayinginFrancewithhismother,who"foundheronly
comfortinhim,"andleavingtofightwiththeFreeFrench
againsttheGermanoccupation.Afterrealizinghewas
caughtbetweenmoralprinciples-familyandnation,orthe
obligationtocareforhismotherandtheobligationto
avengehisbrother'sdeath-hecametoSartreforadvice.The
philosophertoldhisstudentthattherewasnocorrector
incorrectdecision.Neithermoralcodesnorthestrengthof
hisaffectionsforoneortheotherpartycoulddetermine
whattodo;rather,thestudenthadto"invent"hisown
solutiontotheproblem.
“Sartre’s Students”

23. theagent"ought,allthingsconsidered,
todoA,ought,allthingsconsidered,to
doB,andshecannotdobothAandB".
themoralagentiscompelledtoacton
twoormoreequallythesamemoral
optionsbutshecannotchooseboth.
Single -Agent Dilemma

24. Forexample:
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.
Single -Agent Dilemma

25. occursinsituationsthatinvolve
severalpersonslikeafamily,an
organization,oracommunitywho
areexpectedtocomeupwitha
consensualdecisiononamoral
issueathand.
Multi –person Dilemma

26. requiresmorethanchoosingwhat
isright,italsoentailsthatthe
personsinvolvedreachedageneral
consensus.
themoralobligationtodowhatis
rightbecomesmorecomplicated.
Multi –person Dilemma

27. Forexample:
A family may be torn between choosing to
terminate or prolong the life of a family member.
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.
Multi –person Dilemma

28. Ontheonehand,theintegrityof
thedecisionoughttobedefendedon
moralgrounds.
Ontheotherhand,thedecision
mustalsopreventtheorganization
frombreakingapart.
Multi –person Dilemma