What are Moral Dilemmas?

(Retrieved from: https://philonotes.com/index.php/2018/06/10/moral-dilemmas/)

Used for class study and reflection purposes only-not for circulation

First of all, let us define the term dilemma before we discuss the nature and dynamics of moral
dilemmas.

A dilemma is a situation where a person is forced to choose between two or more conflicting
options, neither of which is acceptable. As we can see, the key here is that the person has choices
to make that will all have results she does not want. 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.

It must be noted, however, that if a person is in a difficult situation but is not forced to choose
between two or more options, then that person is not in a dilemma. The least that we can say is
that that person is just experiencing a problematic or distressful situation. Thus, the most logical
thing to do for that person is to look for alternatives or solutions to address the problem.
When dilemmas involve human actions which have moral implications, they are called ethical or
moral dilemmas.

Moral dilemmas, therefore, are situations where persons, who are called “moral agents” in ethics,
are forced to choose between two or more conflicting options, neither of which resolves the
situation in a morally acceptable manner. Consider the following example:

Lindsay is a deeply religious person; hence, she considers killing humans absolutely wrong.
Unfortunately, it is found out that Lindsay is having an ectopic pregnancy. As is well known, an
ectopic pregnancy is a type of pregnancy that occurs outside the uterus, most commonly in the
fallopian tubes. In other words, in ectopic pregnancy, the fetus does not develop in the uterus.
Now, if this happens, the development of the fetus will definitely endanger the mother. Thus, if
Lindsay continues with her pregnancy, then there is a big possibility that she will die. According
to experts, the best way to save Lindsay’s life is to abort the fetus, which necessarily implies killing
the fetus. If we do not abort the fetus, then Lindsay, as well as the fetus, will die.

In the above example of a moral dilemma, Lindsay is faced with two conflicting options, namely,
either she resorts to abortion, which will save her life but at the same time jeopardizes her moral
integrity or does not resort to abortion but endangers her life as well as the fetus. Indeed, Lindsay
is faced with a huge moral dilemma.

According to Karen Allen, there are three conditions that must be present for situations to be
considered moral dilemmas. First, the person or the agent of a moral action is obliged to make a
decision about which course of action is best. Here, the moral agent must choose the best option
and act accordingly. In the case of the example of above, Lindsay may opt to abort the fetus as
the best course of action. Second, there must be different courses of action to choose from.
Hence, as already pointed out above, there must be two or more conflicting options to choose
from for moral dilemmas to occur. And third, no matter what course of action is taken, some moral
principles are always compromised. This means that, according to Allen, there is no perfect
solution to the problem. And for this reason, according to Benjiemen Labastin, in moral dilemmas,
the moral agent “seems fated to commit something wrong which implies that she is bound to
morally fail because in one way or another she will fail to do something which she ought to do. In
other words, by choosing one of the possible moral requirements, the person also fails on others.”