Lesson 3

THE THREE LEVELS OF

MORAL DILEMMA
 At the end of this lesson, the learners will be able to:

1. distinguish the levels of moral dilemma ,

LESSON 2. identify the different structural dilemmas ,

3. explain the techniques used in resolving moral
dilemmas,
OBJECTIVES 4. define freedom and moral act,
5. understand how freedom became the
foundation of moral act.
 Three Levels of Dilemma

Moral Dilemma
A situation in which a 1. Individual
person is FORCED to
choose between two or more 2. Organizational
conflicting options neither of
which is morally acceptable. 3.Structural
 Individual

conflict arrives when a person is

asked to choose between two
important values for him or her.
 Example

Heinz’s wife is dying from a particular type of cancer.

Doctor said a new drug might save her. The drug had been
discovered by a local chemist, and Heinz tried desperately to
buy some, but the chemist was charging ten times the money
it cost to make the drug, and this was much more than Heinz
could afford. Heinz could only raise half the money, even after
help from family and friends. He explained to the chemist that
his wife was dying and asked if he could have the drug
cheaper or pay the rest of the money later. The chemist
refused, saying that he had discovered the drug and was
going to make money from it. The husband was desperate to
save his wife, so later that night he broke into the chemist’s
laboratory and stole the drug.
 Organizational

encountered by institutions,
business, or organizations in their
decision-making process, at this level
the dilemmas that the organizations’
experiences usually affect more than
one person and they can be part of the
internal group or part of an external
stakeholder.
 Example

The mission of a Grace Catholic

School is to serve the poor by giving
quality education. It is torn between
the obligation to charge low tuition fee
to help the poor and to pay better
salaries to keep quality teachers.
 Structural

affect a network of institutions and

operative theoretical paradigms like
universal care, juvenile laws, and
immigration. This type of dilemma
can affect a community and even a
society at large.
 Example

The principal ought to welcome and encourage

parents and community participation in school
affairs. Based on her experience, parents and
community are passive and so the principal always
ends up deciding and doing things just the same.
She is obliged to observe parents’ and community
participation which do not give any input at all at the
same time she is obliged to accomplish things on
time.
 Kinds of Structural Dilemma

Differentiation vs. Integration

This happens because different

divisions have their own different
culture and so coordination between
divisions or bringing them together
for become more difficult.
 Kinds of Structural Dilemma

Gap vs. Overlap

There may be gaps and overlaps in roles and
responsibilities. If key responsibilities are not
clearly assigned, there may be gaps or overlaps in
important tasks. If there are gaps, organization
ends up with no one doing the responsibility. If
there are overlaps, things become unclear and
may lead to more confusion and even conflict and
worse wasted effort and perhaps even resources
because of the unintended overlap.
 Kinds of Structural Dilemma

Lack of Clarity vs. lack of Creativity

If employees are unclear what

they are supposed to do, they often
tailor their roles around personal
preferences instead of system wide
goals, frequently leading to trouble.
Resolving Moral Dilemma

Think of available options revealing that the

dilemma does not really exist

“Choosing the greater good and lesser evil.”

“do only what you can where you are” (Fletcher).
“love and do what you will” (St. Augustine).
Freedom as foundation of moral acts

Freedom
-the power or right to act,
speak or think as one wants
without hindrance or
restraint.
 TYPES OF FREEDOM
01 06
Freedom of Association Freedom of one’s
State in life
02
07
Freedom of belief Freedom of religion

03 08
Freedom of speech Freedom of bondage
and slavery
04
Freedom of to 09
Freedom of bear arms
Express oneself
05
Freedom of the
press
 Moral Act

An action that is freely chosen and comes into existence

through us of exercise of reason and will.

Consist of three elements:

1. The objective act
2. The subjective goal or intention
3. Concrete situation or circumstances in which we perform
the act
Why is Freedom the foundation of

Moral Acts?

Kant unequivocally states that

freedom is only immediate good,
that it is what is essential to
human beings and the source of
their moral worth.
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING