Lesson 4 Moral Dilemmas

Instructions: Just click Lesson 4 for PowerPoint Presentation.

Intended Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, the students should have:
1. identified moral dilemmas
2. constructed and articulated responses to moral dilemmas

Introduction

Decision is a consequence of resolving dilemmas. Whether we consider family higher than career or
putting value on playing “Roblox” higher than academic studies, we are dealing everyday with
dilemmas. In ethics, moral dilemma requires gathering of facts, critical analysis, and as well
reflection should one chooses definite course of action. The process of articulating responses to
moral dilemmas is crucial in determining what decision to make.

Questions
Instructions: Just check your Exercises to answer.
1. Which is more important – love or money? Defend your answer.
2. Which do you prefer – domestic job with your family or work abroad leaving your family behind?
Defend your answer.
3. Which do you choose – marriage or stay single? Defend your answer.

Presentation

Moral Dilemmas
A moral dilemma is a situation which requires you to choose between two or more actions using moral
standards as basis for judging right and wrong. It may present you something morally right action but
produce bad outcome, and something morally wrong action but produce good or better outcome. In a sense, no
matter what you choose you ultimately compromise some values.
Example
One time after the class you’re dropping by a small urbanized pharmacy to buy only a portion of the
total medicines prescribed by the doctor for your mother. The cost of the portion of the medicines is
P100, the cashier is handing you the medicines and P900 bills. It was perhaps because of P100 bill the
cashier mistakenly identifies as P1,000. If you could not secure the whole medicines, your mother’s
illness gets worse. Will you return the P900 bills to the cashier? What is the most responsible thing for
you to do in this situation?
Three Conditions of Moral Dilemmas
Karen Allen lists down three conditions as situations of moral dilemmas.
1. Moral agent is obliged to make a decision that is best.
2. There must be different course of actions to choose from.
3. No matter what course of action is taken, some moral principles are compromised.
Types of Moral Dilemmas
1. a. Epistemic moral dilemmas – the moral agent hardly knows which option is morally right or wrong
b. Ontological moral dilemmas – the moral agent knows the morality of action, but neither the conflicting
options is stronger than the other.
2. a. Self-imposed moral dilemma – conflicting options are made by the moral agent’s wrongdoing, i.e.,
impossibility of fulfilling both obligations
b. World-imposed moral dilemma – certain event in the world places the moral agent in a moral conflict – e.g.,
a mother has to choose whether daughter or son to be sent to gas chamber
3. a. Obligation dilemmas – one feasible action is obligatory
b. Prohibition dilemmas – all feasible actions are forbidden
4. a. Single agent dilemma – moral agent is compelled to act on two or more equally the same moral options,
but she cannot choose both, e.g., medical doctor faced option of revealing HIV of her patient in terms of legal
requirement to report the case and the desire to respect confidentiality.
b. Multi-person dilemma – involve several persons expected to come up with consensual decision, eg., a
family may face decision of terminating the life of family member, city government may be torn with the
option of placing the entire city under lockdown, etc.

Answering
Instructions: Please check your Exercises to answer.
Name: ___________________________________ Course-Section: _____________
Instructions: Below are some examples of moral dilemmas. Please answer the question the comes after each.
a. Signing Affidavit
Imagine you are employed in the government office, and your soon-to-retired superior is facing an
administrative case related to his month-long absence without formal leave a year ago. He begged you to sign
for an affidavit for immediate reply attesting his presence in the office for that month. Your superior would
fulfill his promise to appoint you to be his successor, which could promote your rank, thus enabling you to
help more people. As no other evidence that contradict your statement, you know that your affirmative
signature can immune your superior from the sanctions of the law, thus retire soon from public service as if he
has been doing the right thing. But you also know that it is wrong to lie.
a. Will you sign the affidavit? Why or why not?
b. What is the most responsible thing for you to do in this situation? Why or why not?
c. What is the type of moral dilemma involved in this situation?
b. Sharing with beggar
A destitute-looking mother holding her baby has approached you along the not-so-busy street in the city to beg
for something to eat. Upon looking at her baby under the heat of the sun, you took pity of the situation and
gesture of giving some donations by pulling some bills out of your pocket. It has dawned in your mind that
giving something to beggars is illegal based on Anti-Mendicancy Law which could hold you liable for penalty
and imprisonment. You are convinced that the poor woman deserves your help.
a. Will you share her some of your bills? Why or why not?
b. What is the most responsible thing for you to do in this situation? Why or why not?
c. What is the type of moral dilemma involved in this situation?
Assessment
Instructions: Please check your Exercises to answer.
Name: ___________________________________ Course-Section: _____________
I. Instructions: Write your experience of a moral dilemma and your responses to it minimum of 100 words.
Rubrics is clarity of writing 100%.

II. Instruction: Just check your Exercises for a short quiz.

References
McConnell, Terrance, "Moral Dilemmas", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2018 Edition),
Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2018/entries/moral-dilemmas/>.
Rachels, J. (2012). The Elements of Moral Philosophy. New York: McGraw HIll.
“What are Moral Dilemmas.” 10 June 2018. Philo Notes. Available online:
https://philonotes.com/index.php/2018/06/10/moral-dilemmas/