Ethical Dilemma Examples

Ethical dilemmas are situations in which there is a difficult choice to be made between two or more options, neither of which resolves the situation in a ... HomeExamples EthicalDilemmaExamples EthicalDilemmaExamples Ethicaldilemmasaresituationsinwhichthereisadifficultchoicetobemadebetweentwoormoreoptions,neitherofwhichresolvesthesituationinamannerthatisconsistentwithacceptedethicalguidelines.Whenfacedwithanethicaldilemma,apersonisfacedwithhavingtoselectanoptionthatdoesn’talignwithanestablishedcodeofethicsorsocietalnorms,suchascodesoflawandreligiousteachings,orwiththeirinternalmoralperceptionsofrightandwrong.Exploreethicaldilemmaexamplestoseehowyoumighthandlethesedifficultsituations. cheatingcoupleethicaldilemma Advertisement EthicalDilemmaSituationsEthicaldilemmasoccuralltoofrequentlyineverydaylife.Thereisrarelyaclearanswerregardingrightandwrong.Insteadofbeingabletorelyonexternalstandards,peoplehavetorelyontheirmoralsandvaluestonavigatesuchsituations.Astorytellingapproach,asintroducedbyLawrenceKohlberginthe1930s,isoftenusedtoencouragepeopletothinkthroughpossibleoutcomesandconsequencesofethicaldilemmas.EthicalDilemmasinPersonalRelationshipsMichaelhadseveralfriendsincludingRogerandDaniel.RogerhasrecentlymetandstarteddatingawonderfulladynamedPhyllis.Heisconvincedthisisalongtermrelationship.UnknowntoRoger,MichaelobservedthematarestaurantseveraldaysagoandrealizedPhyllisisthewifeofhisotherfriendDaniel. MichaelisdecidingwhethertotellRogerthatPhyllisismarriedwhenhereceivesacallfromDaniel.Danielsuspectshiswifeishavinganaffair.SinceDanielandhiswifesharemanyfriendsandcontactswithMichael,DanielasksifMichaelhasheardanythingregardinganaffair.WhatshouldMichaeldointhisethicaldilemma?TowhomdoesMichaelowegreaterfriendshiporloyaltyinthissituation?Nomatterwhohetells,heknowsthatitisgoingtoenduphurtingone,ifnotbothfriends.ShouldMichaelrevealtoRogerthatPhyllisismarried?ShouldMichaeltellDanielwhatheknowsaboutRogerandPhyllis?DoesthatfactthatDanielaskedhimadirectquestionhaveanimpactonwhatMichaelshoulddo?ShouldMichaelspeakuptobothDanielandRoger?Doesheremainsilentandhopehisknowledgeisneverdiscovered? Inthissituation,Michaelhastoweighthevariablesinthesituationtomakethedecisionhefeelsisbest.Iftruthisaguidingprincipleofhismorality,he’slikelytotellbothofhisfriendswhatheknowsandhopethattheydon’tblamehimforanynegativeconsequencestheyexperienceasaresultoftellingthetruth.LifeorDeathImpactConsiderasituationinwhichagroupofpeopleareenjoyinganoutdooradventuretogether.Onepersongetsstuckintheonlywayinoroutofanenclosedspace,suchasacave.Waterstartsrisinginthecaveduetohightideorheavyrainfall.Everyonewillperishifthepersonisn’tremovedfromtheentrance.Thereisnowayofremovingthepersonwhoisstucksothattheindividualwillsurvive. Thegrouphastomakeanextremelydifficultdecision.Dotheytakeanextremeactionthatwillcostonememberofthegroupherlife?Or,dotheydonothing,knowingthatchancesaregoodthatnoneofthemwillsurviveifthatchoiceofactionistaken.Whowouldberesponsibleformakingsuchadecision?Isitdifferentifthepersonwhoisstuckofferstosacrificeherselfversusmembersofthegroupsuggestingthatshebeeliminated?Whataretheconsequencesoffacingsuchanextrememoraldilemma?Itiscommonlyacceptedthatkillingapersoniswrong,butwhataboutwhenit’sdonetosaveothers?Whatmighttheconsequencesbeforthesurvivorsifthegroupchosetokillthepersonwhoisstucksotheymightsurvive?Wouldtherebelegalconsequences?Whataboutguilt? Thisisoneofthemostextrememoraldilemmaexamples,aswellasanethicaldilemma.Thechoiceisbetweenactivelycausingoneperson’sdeathorallowingpeople(includingoneself)todie.Someonefollowingautilitarianapproachtoethicswouldlikelychoosetoeliminatethepersonwhoisstuck,asthisphilosophyisbasedonchoosingactionsthatresultinthegreatestgoodforthegreatestnumberofpeople.Someonewhofocusesprimarilyonthesanctityofeachindividuallife,however,wouldnotconsiderharmingthepersonwhoisstucktobeaviableoption. Advertisement FollowingtheRulesOneofthemostimportantcharacteristicsofaneffectiveleaderistreatingpeopleequitably.Thisinvolvesfairnessandconsistency,includingregardstoapplyingtherulestoeveryoneequally.Whatshouldacoachdowhenafewsuperstarplayersgetcaughtbreakingrulesthatshouldleadtotheirsuspensionfromtheteamimmediatelybeforeabiggamethatisveryimportanttotheteam? Ifthestarplayersdon’tplay,thereisagoodchancetheteamwilllose.Iftheteamhastowinthisgametoadvancetothechampionshipgame,shouldthataffectthecoach’sdecision?Ifthecoachdoesn’tapplyappropriateconsequencestotheactionsoftheplayerswhobroketherules,whatlessonarethoseplayerslearning?Willtheycontinuetobreakrules?Whatabouttheotherplayerswhodofollowtherules.Willtheylearnthattherulesarejustsuggestionsandfeelliketheydon’tneedtocomplyinthefuture?Whatifoneoftheplayerswhobroketheruleswillmissachancetobeseenbyprofessionalscoutsifhedoesn’tplayinthegame?Whatiftheteam’sschoolwillearnalargeamountofmoneyfromtelevisioncoverageofthebiggameiftheteamgoestothechampionship?Whatifthecoachissettoearnabigbonusorsignificantpayincreaseiftheteamadvancestothechampionshipgame? Coachesareresponsibleforwinning,butthey’realsoresponsibleforsettinganappropriateexampleofleadershipforplayersandtreatingallteammembersfairly.Whatmayseemtobeanobviouschoicebetweenrightandwrongatfirstglanceisreallymuchmorecomplicated. Advertisement TheCostofaCureImagineyouwereinasituationwheresomeoneinyourfamilywasextremelyill.Yourrelative’sdoctorsaysthatthereisanexperimentalmedicinethatmighthelpyourlovedone,expressingthatitistheonlythingthatmightwork.Yourfamilyhasverylimitedfinancialmeans.Themedicationcosts$1,000permonthandhealthinsurancewillnotcoverthecost.Youtrytoborrowmoneytopayforacourseoftreatmentbutareunabletodoso. Whenfacedwithafinancialbarriertoapotentiallylifesavingtreatmentforsomeoneyoulove,wouldstealingmoneytopayforthemedicationbemorallyjustified?Woulditmatterwhatformthestealingtook?Wouldyourdecisionbedifferentifyouwereconsideringrobbingabankversusstealingacreditcardfromanotherrelativetouse?Whataboutthepharmaceuticalcompany?Doyoufeelitisethicaltochargesomuchforamedicationthathasauniqueabilitytopotentiallysavepeople?Whataboutyourfeelingstowardtheethicsoftheinsurancecompany’srefusaltocoverthemedication? Whenfacedwiththepossibilityoflosingalovedonesimplyduetoalackoffunds,it’spossiblethatsomeonewhoisordinarilycompletelyopposedtostealingmightbeabletorationalizesuchanaction.Theymayseestealingtopotentiallysavesomeone’slifeasmorallyjustifiable,whilestealingjustforone’sownfinancialgaintobeimmoral.Further,thereistheissueofthepricingandcoveragedecisionsmadebythepharmaceuticalcompanyandinsuranceprovider.Thesethings,whiletheymightangerthepersonfacingamoraldilemma,arebeyondtheindividual’scontrol. Advertisement DisadvantagingYourselftoDoWhat’sRightTherelianceondigitalcommunicationinthebusinessworldsurelyhascreatedethicaldilemmasinvolvinginformationaccessandprivacy.Youcouldfindyourselfinasituationofneedingtogetinformationfromacoworker’scomputerwhenthatpersonwasoutoftheoffice.Youknowyou’renotsupposedtoaccessotherscomputers,butthiscoworkerisafriendofyoursandshehassharedherpasswordwithyouinthepast.Whenyoulogin,youdiscoverthatyourcoworkerhasbeensavingcustomer’screditcarddataonthecomputer,whichisaviolationofcompanypolicy. Savingcustomercreditcarddataisaviolationofcustomerprivacyandcompanypolicy.Yoususpecttheinformationmaybebeingusedforidentitytheftorcreditcardfraud.Yourcompany’scodeofethicsspecifiesthatemployeesareresponsibleforreportingviolationsofthepolicytomanagement.Yourcompany’sinformationtechnologyspecifiesthatemployeesshouldnotsharetheirpasswordsorlogintoaccountsorequipmentusedbyotheremployees.Ifyouturninyourcoworker,youcouldalsogetintroublesinceyouonlygainedtheinformationthroughviolatingacompanypolicy.Ifyoudon’tturninyourcoworker,thepeoplewhosecreditcardinformationshesavedcouldbevictimizedbyfraudortheft.Shouldyouriskyourjobbytellingmanagementwhatyousawonyourcoworker’scomputer?Doyouoweloyaltytoyourcoworker,thecompanyorthecustomers? Thisisadifficultdilemmatoface,asisthecasewithallethicaldilemmas.Ifyouchoosetokeepyourselfoutoftrouble,willthefactthatyouknowwhatyourcoworkerhasdonecontinuetobotheryou?Willyouberesponsibleinsomewayifcustomersaredefraudedasaresultofyourcoworker’sactions? Advertisement EthicalPerspectivesYoucanstudyethicsfrombothareligiousandaphilosophicalpointofview.Therearefivebranchesofethics,eachofwhichoffersadifferentperspective.NormativeEthicsThenormativeapproachtoethics,whichisthelargestbranch,dealswithhowindividualscanfigureoutthecorrectmoralactionthattheyshouldtake.PhilosopherssuchastheGreekphilosopherSocratesandJohnStuartMillareincludedinthisbranchofethics.MetaEthicsThemetaethicsbranchseekstounderstandthenatureofethicalpropertiesandjudgmentssuchasiftruthvaluescanbefoundandthetheorybehindmoralprinciples.AppliedEthicsAppliedethicsisthestudyofapplyingtheoriesfromphilosophersregardingethicsineverydaylife.Forexample,thisareaofethicsasksquestionssuchas"Isitacceptabletohaveanabortion?"and"Shouldyouturninyourfriendatyourworkplacefortakinghomeofficesupplies?"MoralEthicsThebranchofmoralethicsquestionshowindividualsdeveloptheirmorality,whycertainaspectsofmoralitydifferbetweenculturesandwhycertainaspectsofmoralityaregenerallyuniversal.DescriptiveEthicsDescriptiveethicsismorescientificinitsapproach.Itfocusesonhowhumanbeingsactuallyoperateintherealworld,ratherthanattemptingtotheorizeabouthowtheyshouldoperate.MakingDifficultChoicesDecidinghowtobestresolvedifficultmoralandethicaldilemmasisnevereasyespeciallywhenanychoiceviolatesthesocietalandethicalstandardsbywhichwehavebeentaughttogovernourlives.Tolearnmoreaboutthesematters,explorethedifferencesbetweenethics,moralsandvalues. MaryGormandyWhite StaffWriter middleschoolhighschoolcollegeRelatedArticlesWhat'stheDifferenceBetweenEthics,MoralsandValues?Haveyoueverdeemedsomeone’sbehaviortobeunethical?Haveyoueverquestionedtheirmoralcodeorthevaluesuponwhichtheybasetheirdecisions?Whenourmindswandertotheseplaces,thetermsethics,moralsandvaluestendtofeelverysimilar,buttheyarenotquitethesame.Keepreadingforexplanationsandvalues,ethicsandmoralsexamplestolearnhowtheyaredifferent.ExamplesofLying:WhiteLiesandBeyondWhatisalie?Lyingmeansbeingdishonestornottellingthetruth.Therearemanyexamplesoflyingthatoccureveryday.Someliesareharmlessliesconsidered"whitelies,"whileotherscanbeveryhurtfulandharmful.Discover60+lyingexamples,includingbothwhiteliesexamplesandother,moreserious,typesoflies.