What is Moral Dilemma (And the Three Levels of Moral Dilemmas)
What is moral dilemma? How does a moral dilemma in ethics differ from other dilemmas? What are moral dilemma examples? What are the three levels of moral dilemmas?
In one of his lectures, Filipino Philosophy professor and textbook author Jensen DG. Mañebog explains these topics. The following is based considerably from his lecture on moral dilemma:
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Moral Dilemma Meaning and Dilemma
Basically, the word ‘dilemma’ refers to a situation in which a tough choice has to be made between two or more options, especially more or less equally undesirable ones.
From this meaning or definition alone, we can see that not all dilemmas are moral dilemmas.
‘What is moral dilemmas’
Many search for the keyword “What is moral dilemmas.” Also called ‘ethical dilemmas,’ moral dilemmas are situations in which a difficult choice has to be made between two courses of action, either of which entails transgressing a moral principle.
It is safe to say that at the very least, moral dilemmas involve conflicts between moral requirements.
Moral dilemma examples
In discussing moral dilemmas, the online Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy gives this example from the Book I of Plato’s Republic:
“… Cephalus defines ‘justice’ as speaking the truth and paying one’s debts. Socrates quickly refutes this account by suggesting that it would be wrong to repay certain debts—for example, to return a borrowed weapon to a friend who is not in his right mind.’
“Socrates’ point is not that repaying debts is without moral import; rather, he wants to show that it is not always right to repay one’s debts, at least not exactly when the one to whom the debt is owed demands repayment.’
“What we have here is a conflict between two moral norms: repaying one’s debts and protecting others from harm…” (“Moral Dilemmas,” n.d.)
Notice that what is common to moral dilemmas is conflict. In each ethical dilemma, an agent regards himself as having moral reasons to do each of two actions, but doing both actions seems to be ethically not possible.
Moral dilemma in ethics
The following are the key features of a moral dilemma:
(a) the agent is required to do each of two (or more) actions;
(b) the agent can do each of the actions; but the agent cannot do both (or all) of the actions.
Thus, in moral dilemmas, the agent appears condemned to moral failure. That is, no matter what he does, he will do something wrong, or fail to do something that he ought to do.
In our example above (the case given by Plato), many would say that it is more important to protect people from harm than to return a borrowed weapon. Or, some would suggest that the borrowed item can be returned later, when the owner no longer poses a threat to others.
Thus, we can say that the moral requirement to protect others from serious harm overrides the ethical requirement to repay one’s debts by returning a borrowed item even when its owner so demands.
Nonetheless, there are ethicists who propose that when one of the conflicting moral requirements overrides the other, the case is not a ‘genuine moral dilemma.’
Therefore, in addition to the features mentioned above, in order to have a genuine moral dilemma, some add that it must also be the case that:
(c) neither of the conflicting moral requirements is overridden.
The Three Levels of Moral Dilemmas
We can classify moral dilemmas according to levels: (a) personal, (b) organizational, and (c) structural.
a. Personal Dilemmas
Simply put, these personal dilemmas are those experienced and resolved on the personal level. Since many ethical decisions are personally made, many, if not most of, moral dilemmas fall under, or boil down to, this level.
French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre gave an example or a case that could exemplify a personal moral dilemma:
“Sartre tells of a student whose brother had been killed in the German offensive of 1940. The student wanted to avenge his brother and to fight forces that he regarded as evil. But the student’s mother was living with him, and he was her one consolation in life.’
“The student believed that he had conflicting obligations. Sartre describes him as being torn between two kinds of morality: one of limited scope but certain efficacy, personal devotion to his mother; the other of much wider scope but uncertain efficacy, attempting to contribute to the defeat of an unjust aggressor.” (“Moral Dilemmas,” n.d.)
We can give many other examples of personal moral dilemmas. If someone makes conflicting promises, he faces a moral conflict. When an individual has to choose between the life of a child who is about to be delivered and the child’s mother, he faces an ethical dilemma.
b. Organizational Dilemmas
Basically, ethical cases encountered and resolved by social organizations are organizational moral dilemmas. This category includes moral dilemmas in business, medical field, and public sector.
For example, a hospital that believes that human life should not be deliberately shortened and that unpreventable pain should not be tolerated encounters a conflict in resolving whether to withdraw life support from a dying patient. This is a common moral dilemma faced by healthcare organizations and medical institutions.
Moral dilemmas also arise in professional work. Administrative bodies in business are confronted with situations in which several courses of action are possible but none of them provide a totally successful outcome to those affected by the decision or actions taken.
These moral dilemmas in business involve issues about corporate practices, policies, business behaviors, and the conducts and relationships of individuals in the organizations. Other business-related dilemmas pertain to the social responsibility of businesses, employee rights, harassment, labor unions, misleading advertising, job discrimination, and whistle blowing.
On the part of public sector, government leaders and employees have a moral duty to act in a manner that is fair and unbiased. They should be loyal to the public and ought to put public interest before personal gain, and fulfill duties of competency, integrity, accountability, and transparency.
Having said that, public officials nonetheless may encounter foreseeable moral dilemmas in fulfilling these ideals. So ethical or moral dilemmas which arise include the following examples:
-whether or not to favor family, friends, or campaign contributors over other constituents;
-favoring the agenda of one’s political party over a policy one believes to be good for the community;
– dealing with conflicting public duties inherent in serving both as a council member and as a member of an agency or commission;
– resigning from organizations in which membership may give rise to future conflicts;
– becoming whistle blower even if it means potentially derailing a policy objective one is pursuing; and,
– accepting gifts if it is legally permitted but creates the appearance of impropriety.
c. Structural Dilemmas
These structural moral dilemmas pertain to cases involving network of institutions and operative theoretical paradigms. As they usually encompass multi-sectoral institutions and organizations, they may be larger in scope and extent than organizational dilemmas.
An example is the prices of medicine in the Philippines which are higher compared to other countries in Asia and in countries of similar economic status. Factors affecting medicine prices include the cost of research, presence of competition in the market, government regulations, and patent protection.
The institutions concerned may want to lower the costs of medicine, thereby benefiting the Filipino public, but such a move may ruin the interests or legal rights of the involved researchers, inventors or discoverers, and pharmaceutical companies which own the patent of the medicines or healthcare technologies.
An example of dilemma which is also structural in nature is that of Universal Health Care (UHC). Locally applied, it is called “Kalusugan Pangkalahatan” (KP). It is the provision to every Filipino of the highest possible quality of health care that is accessible, efficient, equitably distributed, adequately funded, fairly financed, and appropriately used by an informed and empowered public.
“Kalusugan Pangkalahatan” (KP), as a government mandate, aims to ensure that every Filipino shall receive affordable and quality health benefits by (ideally) providing adequate resources – health human resources, health facilities, and health financing.
Nonetheless, health financing is first and foremost a big issue here. Government could set aside bigger budget for health for the implementation of this provision. But then, this would mean cutting down allocations on other sectors (such as education or public works.).
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For other free lectures in Ethics, visit: Homepage: ETHICS Subject Free Lectures
Read: From Socrates to Mill: An Analysis of Prominent Ethical Theories by Jensen DG. Mañebog
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What is Moral Dilemma (And the Three Levels of Moral Dilemmas)
Related: Reasoning and Debate: A Handbook and a Textbook by Jensen DG. Mañebog
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