What Are Moral Dilemmas?

Summary

This whiteboard discussion delves into the complexities of moral dilemmas, defining them as situations where individuals must choose between conflicting options with no acceptable outcome. It explores the nature of ethical dilemmas, using the example of Lindsay's ectopic pregnancy, and outlines conditions for moral dilemmas as per Karen Allen. The video categorizes moral dilemmas into epistemic and ontological, self-imposed and world-imposed, obligation and prohibition, and single agent and multi-person dilemmas, illustrating each with examples. It concludes by emphasizing the challenge of finding consensus in multi-person moral dilemmas.

Takeaways

• 😖 A moral dilemma is a situation where one must choose between two or more conflicting options, none of which are morally acceptable.
• 🔍 The term 'dilemma' applies only when there is a forced choice between options, not merely a difficult situation.
• 🤔 Ethical or moral dilemmas involve moral agents who face conflicts between options that have no morally perfect resolution.
• 💡 Karen Allen's conditions for moral dilemmas include the obligation to make a decision, multiple conflicting options, and the compromise of moral principles regardless of the choice made.
• 🚫 In moral dilemmas, according to Benjamin Lemma Steen, one is destined to commit a moral wrong due to the inherent conflict of options.
• 📚 Types of moral dilemmas include epistemic and ontological, self-imposed and world-imposed, obligation and prohibition, and single agent and multi-person dilemmas.
• 🤝 Epistemic dilemmas involve uncertainty about which moral requirement takes precedence, while ontological dilemmas present conflicts with no clear overriding moral requirement.
• 🌐 Self-imposed dilemmas arise from personal actions creating a conflict of obligations, whereas world-imposed dilemmas are caused by external events forcing moral conflict.
• 🏥 Examples like the military doctor with limited resources illustrate ontological dilemmas, where neither option is morally superior.
• 🏛️ The story of Sophie's Choice exemplifies a world-imposed prohibition dilemma, where all options lead to a moral compromise.
• 👥 Multi-person dilemmas add complexity by involving multiple agents with potentially conflicting moral obligations, requiring consensus.

Q & A

What is a dilemma in the context of the script?

A dilemma is a situation where a person is forced to choose between two or more conflicting options, none of which are acceptable, and all choices have unwanted results.

What is the key characteristic of a moral dilemma?

A moral dilemma is characterized by the presence of conflicting options that a moral agent must choose between, with neither option resolving the situation in a morally acceptable manner.

Can a problematic situation without forced choices be considered a dilemma?

No, a situation is only considered a dilemma if there are forced choices between two or more options.

What is the example of a moral dilemma involving Lindsay and her ectopic pregnancy?

Lindsay faces a moral dilemma where she must choose between aborting the fetus to save her own life, which compromises her moral integrity, or not aborting and risking both her life and the fetus's life.

According to Karen Allen, what are the three conditions for a situation to be a moral dilemma?

The three conditions are: 1) The moral agent is obliged to make a decision, 2) There must be different courses of action to choose from, and 3) No matter what action is taken, some moral principles are always compromised.

What does Benjamin Lemma Steen suggest about moral dilemmas?

Benjamin Lemma Steen suggests that in moral dilemmas, the moral agent seems fated to commit something wrong, implying that they are bound to morally fail due to the nature of the conflicting choices.

What are the main categories of moral dilemmas mentioned in the script?

The main categories are epistemic and ontological dilemmas, self-imposed and world-imposed dilemmas, obligation and prohibition dilemmas, and single agent and multi-person dilemmas.

What is an epistemic moral dilemma?

An epistemic moral dilemma involves situations where two or more moral requirements conflict, and the moral agent hardly knows which requirement takes precedence, due to a lack of fuller knowledge of the situation.

What is the difference between self-imposed and world-imposed moral dilemmas?

A self-imposed moral dilemma is caused by the moral agent's own wrongdoings, whereas a world-imposed moral dilemma arises from external events that place the agent in a situation of moral conflict.

Can you provide an example of an obligation dilemma from the script?

An example of an obligation dilemma is the French student who had to choose between staying in France to care for his mother and leaving to fight with the Free French against the German occupation, as both actions were seen as obligatory.

What is a multi-person dilemma and how does it differ from a single agent dilemma?

A multi-person dilemma involves a situation where multiple agents each have their own moral obligations that cannot all be fulfilled simultaneously, requiring a consensual decision. It differs from a single agent dilemma, which involves one agent choosing between conflicting moral options.