What do you mean by ethical dilemma?

Imagine you were in a situation where someone in your family was extremely ill. Your relative’s doctor says that there is an experimental medicine that might help your loved one, expressing that it is the only thing that might work. Your family has very limited financial means. The medication costs $1,000 per month and health insurance will not cover the cost. You try to borrow money to pay for a course of treatment but are unable to do so.

• When faced with a financial barrier to a potentially life saving treatment for someone you love, would stealing money to pay for the medication be morally justified?
• Would it matter what form the stealing took? Would your decision be different if you were considering robbing a bank versus stealing a credit card from another relative to use?
• What about the pharmaceutical company? Do you feel it is ethical to charge so much for a medication that has a unique ability to potentially save people?
• What about your feelings toward the ethics of the insurance company’s refusal to cover the medication?

When faced with the possibility of losing a loved one simply due to a lack of funds, it’s possible that someone who is ordinarily completely opposed to stealing might be able to rationalize such an action. They may see stealing to potentially save someone’s life as morally justifiable, while stealing just for one’s own financial gain to be immoral. Further, there is the issue of the pricing and coverage decisions made by the pharmaceutical company and insurance provider. These things, while they might anger the person facing a moral dilemma, are beyond the individual’s control.

By now, you should have a good understanding of how we define “ethics” and “morals.”  We will now turn our attention to defining moral (ethical) dilemma.  When defining moral (ethical) dilemma, it is important to recognize that a moral (ethical) dilemma is not simply a question  that requires you to make a decision of “What color outfit should I wear today,” or “Will the red or blue shoes best match my outfit?” Nor is a moral (ethical) dilemma a situation where you must decide between an action such as “Should I eat chocolate or vanilla ice cream for dessert” or “Should I read the introduction to my textbook or start with chapter one?”  As far as I know, there is nothing immoral or unethical with eating either chocolate or vanilla ice cream for dessert or with skipping over the introduction and beginning with the first chapter of a book ( except, you might overlook some helpful information by not reading the introduction to your textbook).

The point is a moral (ethical) dilemma involves making a choice between two or more moral (ethical) values and in making a decision or in taking action you will compromise or violate some other moral (ethical) principle(s) or value(s).  A moral (ethical) dilemma is a situation that involves a choice, decision, act/action, solution that may include an unpleasant problem or situation where you feel you simply do not know what to do or which way to turn. When identifying what is or is not a moral (ethical) dilemma, we need to remember the key words here are “moral” or “ethical” (as a reminder, we are using these words interchangeably).

A response to a moral (ethical) dilemma is not always a matter of “right versus wrong,” as both courses of action or decision could seem moral or ethical (or the “right thing to do”). In some cases, it is a “right versus right” type of dilemma, which involves having to decide the better or best way to respond when faced with two or more “right “courses of action or decisions to select from.  When faced with a moral (ethical) dilemma, you will probably be asking yourself “What should I do?” or “What ought I do now?”   You may have a “little voice” inside your head telling you to do one thing, while your immediate desire is to do another.  Some may refer to this “little voice” as your conscience, and you may be the type of person who is keenly aware of their own “moral compass.”  Have you ever known what you “must do,” but simply did not “feel” like doing it?  When faced with a situation like this, do you listen to that “little voice” and follow your moral compass? Or, do you simply do the first thing you think of, what most pleases you or others, or do nothing?

The” right versus wrong” ethical dilemmas, are not usually the ones we have a problem resolving (such as, “Should I cheat on a test?” or “Is it okay to harm an innocent person?”).  It is the “right versus right” ethical dilemmas that seem to be the hardest to resolve.

Let’s look at a few examples of what could be considered “right versus right’ moral (ethical) dilemma:

What is an ethical dilemma explain?

What is dilemma in your own words?