An ethical dilemma is a problem in decision-making that involves two moral imperatives, where neither option is preferable or acceptable. The conflict normally arises because following one of the choices would result in the transgression of another.

Another name for this situation is an ethical paradox in the field of moral philosophy, and they are sometimes used to refute a moral code or ethical system or to improve it.

Examples of ethical dilemmas

There are many examples for ethical dilemmas that can occur in one’s life, in fact, at some point in your life you will face an ethical dilemma and how you solve it could have different implications further on. But, for academic or illustrative purposes, usually, the examples presented are way more dramatic than the ones might actually face.

• A train has lost its breaks and it is heading towards five workmen repairing the rails, but you have access to a lever that will change the course of the train to another rail, but a drifter walking along the tracks. You have no way of warning either of them or stopping the train, the only thing you can do is decide to which side the train goes. You have to decide where the train will go, and someone will die because of it. Do you leave the train on its current course and allow five men to die, or do you engage the lever, saving them but sacrificing one man?
• You’re at a store with a friend and you see that friend stealing a bottle of wine. On your way out, you’re confronted by the security about it, and you might be faced with the dilemma of being honest and telling the truth, but betraying your friend, or protecting him and lie. In this case, society has taught us that both telling the truth and being loyal are correct, but you’re now facing the question of which one is more “right.”

Dealing with Ethical Dilemmas

 

Ethical dilemmas have different approaches to being solved, for instance if you are able to show that the alleged situation is really only apparent and doesn’t really exist, or if the way to solve it is by choosing the greater good over the lesser evil, or by realizing that the frame of the problem is actually omitting other options for solving it. Also, situational ethics have to be applied because in many cases it can’t be removed from context.

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In a case in which the ethical conflict comes from an imperative or injunction not to steal and one caring for a family that you can’t really afford to feed without having to steal, either money or food. Sometimes the debate arises when you take into consideration other options to committing the crime, such as charity or some other form of social safety net. But, if those are not available, where does stealing food stand? Since stealing is always bad, and letting your family starve is always bad, one would be forced to commit a wrong in order to avoid another wrong, always being in conflict.

However, ethical systems do allow tradeoffs or certain priorities when making decisions. The way to solve an ethical dilemma is very rarely a simple matter or clearcut and in many cases needs to revisit similar situations that happen within societies.